Long Road to Ruin
by Dance Elle Dance
Summary: Jasper would know that beautiful brunette anywhere; she saved his life when he was little. That was why he was so surprised to see her in Forks...that, and the fact that she hadn't aged since the day they met. JasperBella, vamp AU
1. Prologue: Topaz

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Twilight!_

_**Summary: Jasper would know that beautiful brunette anywhere; she saved his life when he was little. That was why he was so surprised to see her in Forks…that, and the fact that she hadn't aged since the day they met. JasperBella, vamp AU**_

_Okay, my first attempt at a JasperBella fan fiction. These two together have always been one of my guilty pleasures and I hope I do them justice. Please review! It would mean a lot._

_I'm just gonna put the prologue here for starters and if people like it, I will add another chapter, haha._

_Enjoy!_

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**Long Road to Ruin  
****Prologue: Topaz**

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"Jasper! Jasper, darlin', where are you?"

The young boy ignored the worried calls from his mother and trudged forward. His blonde hair was matted with sweat and clung to his forehead. Dry leaves and debris from the woods stuck to it like a magnet. Only eight years old, Jasper Whitlock was the personification of childish energy as he pushed through the bushes with small hands.

"Jasper!"

He laughed to himself, showcasing a row of pearly white teeth, with only a few missing. The child walked forward, pushing himself to explore more.

The sun shone down, lighting everything up with its rays. The early morning dew glistened off the leaves and blades of grass like small jewels, and Jasper's eyes took it all in as if he were seeing it for the first time.

After turning a corner, his sneaker-covered foot got hung beneath a tree root, and he tripped. Clumsy feet got tangled around one another and he was flung to the ground. He braced himself with the palms of his hands as well as his knees, but that was no good.

"Ouch!" He yelped, switching to position himself to get a better look at his injuries. His eyes scanned over the scrapes that now adorned the palms of his hands and the tops of his knees. He pursed his lips before inhaling through his teeth, chocolate colored eyes surveying the extent of the damage. He sighed exasperatedly as he saw crimson fluid trickle down his leg.

"Darn…I hope Mom has a band-aid…"

Shakily, he rose from his seated position, only to be met with the hungry, golden-brown eyes of a predator.

The cougar shifted on its haunches, his large cat-eyes staring intently at the small boy. The powerful cat's pink tongue darted out, licking its chops, as it continued to stare Jasper down.

Jasper's eyes widened, tears threatening to form in fright. Clearly, he had gone too far into the woods. Ignoring his mother's calls was now going to cost him - more than he ever intended to pay.

"M-Mama…" His voice was shaky as he tried to move backward, away from the dangerous predator. As he stepped back, the cat came closer, closing in on the vulnerable prey.

_Run, run, run! _Jasper's mind chanted at him.

The instinct to flee was too great. Jasper turned and bolted as fast as his legs could carry him. He got a few feet, looking behind himself every so often, to see that the cat was on his tail, taking longs strides that covered at least four of his footsteps.

After running for a bit, his feet betrayed him, giving out beneath him, flinging him down onto the wet, moist forest floor.

He did nothing but close his eyes, anticipating the long, yellowed fangs of the cougar sinking into his neck.

But…nothing happened.

Jasper thought the cougar would've finished him off by now, so he cautiously turned over to see what was the hold up already.

The cougar lay in a mangled heap, as if it were crushed, but somehow, blood wasn't flowing from its wounds. Jasper cocked his head to the side, eyebrows knitting together in bewilderment. The sun beamed down on the carcass, and Jasper rubbed his eyes with his fists to make sure he wasn't hallucinating any of it.

He wasn't.

But he had yet to lay eyes on the most spectacular thing in the forest.

Jasper caught sight of a brilliant array of shattered rainbows being cast on the ground beside the animal. His eyes widened at the beauty of it, and he reached out to touch it, as if he could grab one of the reflections and keep it with him. He looked at them with a sense of childlike wonder and confusion.

_What? _He thought with curiosity, fingers clenching and unclenching around the sparkles.

He looked up to see what the source of the beautiful light was and gasped.

A woman, the most beautiful, _perfect _woman he had ever seen, was standing in front of him, looking at him with strange colored eyes. _Golden_ colored eyes. Like the metallic wrapper of his favorite candy, but prettier. Definitely prettier. She had long, thick, dark brown hair that reached her mid-back, and it floated around her in the morning breeze. She wasn't as tall as his mother, but something about her reminded him of a statue he and his mother visited at the park. Her skin was pale, like snow. Maybe even whiter than snow, he realized as she walked slowly to him.

More amazing than all of that, she literally _sparkled _where the sun came into contact with her pale skin.

As she walked, he was reminded of those dancers on television. The ones who wore pointy shoes and strange dresses. It was so graceful - her grace seemed even more effortless than that of the dancers.

She touched his cheek, and he shivered, despite the warm degree of temperature the morning had. Her fingers were icy cold - unnaturally cold, and he was puzzled. What kind of person _was _this woman?

He couldn't look away from her, her looks were so captivating to his child's mind. Blinking several times, he touched her hand with his short fingers and felt the coldness on his fingertips.

A smile crossed her full lips and Jasper's mouth hung open slightly, though as she did so she seemed to be holding her breath. She giggled at his expression, though; Jasper realized the sound was like the tinkling of bells.

"Are you alright, little boy?"

Her voice matched her appearance.

Jasper gulped and nodded, not knowing what else to do.

"Ah, good."

And her lips brushed the crown of his head, right on his waves of blonde hair.

Then she was gone.

Just like that.

_Gone._

Jasper felt the wind of her departure, spinning around, looking for any trace that the beautiful apparition of a woman was real. The only thing he could come up with to prove to himself that the breathtaking woman was actually there was the crumpled body of the mountain lion, laying pathetically in the shadow of a large tree.

He shook his head, realizing his mother would be worried about him - _Yeah, what a time to think about that. _He thought.- and he raced off to find the opening in the brush that led back to his house.

The blonde haired little boy found it soon enough, and his mother was waiting for him in the backyard with open arms and a worried expression.

"Jasper! Breakfast is ready! I've tried calling for you but - _oh_, what happened to you, sweetie?" The equally blonde haired Mrs. Whitlock looked at her son with concern as she saw the scrapes on his hands and knees, with bruises beginning to form around them. She walked briskly over to Jasper and scooped him into her arms, "C'mon, Jasper, let's get you inside and clean you up."

"Mom!" Jasper suddenly jolted out of his reserved state, "I was chased by a _cougar_, Mom!"

"Wh-_What_?"

Jasper laughed at his mother's incredulous expression, "But I'm okay! This pretty lady saved me! She had rainbows comin' off her!"

Mrs. Whitlock looked at her son with an amused expression. "You have some imagination, Jazz." She said lightly, taking all of her energetic son's story with a grain of salt. "Time to cut off on those super hero cartoons."

"No! No, Mama! She was _real_!"

"Yes, sweetie, I'm sure she was." She replied, ruffling the halo of golden hair that circled Jasper's face.

His eyes knitted together in concentration as he reached up and touched where the gorgeous woman had pressed her cold lips to him. It still tingled, which was odd. He huffed a sigh and surrendered, too tired to fight with his mother any more than he already had.

But, his eyes darted down at the exact moment he decided to throw in the towel, down to the topaz pendant his mother always wore. A memory flashed through his mind:

_Jasper's tiny fingers tugged on the pendant a little too tightly, wanting to rip it off and keep it for himself._

"_Your father gave me this, Jasper, because he loves Mommy very much. Now you wouldn't want to break it, would you?"_

_Chocolate eyes widened and Jasper nodded, "No…I want Mommy to be happy. So I won't break it…"_

_She then kissed his forehead._

His father died when he was very young - too young to remember. Jasper, despite his age, knew that it still made his mother very sad when someone mentioned his name or anything of that sort.

Jasper shook his head, trying to rid himself of that memory, as he gingerly touched the necklace. Luckily, his mother didn't notice. Or, at least, she pretended not to.

He touched it curiously, wistfully, with a longing too mature for his years.

As he gazed at the necklace, he was reminded of the woman with the beautiful golden eyes.

He was also reminded of how she saved his life.

The memories were so fresh, so vivid…

He was sure he would never forget this, not even if he lived forever.

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_**End Prologue.**_

_Well, there ya go! This prologue is basically showing what happened with Jasper's past and how Bella saved him. I hope I get some positive feedback! It would be very much appreciated! And another thing, which really has nothing to do with this, but I'm just so happy about it - I'M WRITING THIS OFF OF MY NEW LAPTOP! Not meaning to brag, but it's just so cool! Lol._

_Thank you for clicking on this humble little fic of mine and reading! I'm so glad you did! _

_See ya!_


	2. Side Effects

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Twilight!_

_Oh wow this has to be the fastest I've ever updated anything, lol, I'm just so happy with all the reviews! They were so kind and supportive! And more than I expected! Thanks to everyone who reviewed for saying they liked it. I'm extremely happy and confident about this fic now and I hope everyone enjoys it!_

_Here ya go - Chapter one!_

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**Long Road to Ruin  
****Chapter One: Side Effects **

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**Jasper.**

I groaned as I turned on my side, clenching my eyes shut as if to dispel the sunlight beaming in my room. Taking my will to get some extra shut-eye, I grabbed my pillow and smashed it over my head.

As if to spite me, the alarm clock chose that precise moment to start ringing.

I let out a curse and sat up, my hair sticking out in all directions. Sighing, I rolled out of bed, my bare feet feeling the slight chill of the wood floor brought on by my leaving the window open, as I usually did.

"Jasper!" My mom called up at me. Right on time.

"I'm up!" I shouted, the Southern twang in my voice even apparent to me. I had not been born here, it was obvious. A Texas boy all the way. Me and my mother moved around from time to time after my dad died, never really settling on one particular place. Until this dinky little down of Forks, Washington.

I wasn't even really sure how we ended up in the gloomy, dreary place. Not that I minded. Well, at first I did. I was scared we'd end up getting uprooted again and have to go live in some nasty city with all the smog and cars going past the house at all hours of the night. But when we stayed for two solid years, I was positive that we weren't moving anywhere else. My mom, like me, enjoyed the clean, crisp air and the green surroundings. Of course, I missed the sun, but I enjoyed this place more than any other area we had tested out.

Mom had a steady job, working at the local pharmacy - it paid pretty good money, too. Which was good since she couldn't keep a job at any of our other locations. She was the sole cash earner in this household. I had offered to get a job to help with things, but Mom just smiled and told me that I needed to focus on my education. That I shouldn't lose my teenage years just yet.

I guess she was right. Even during the summer, though, she would never grant my request to go out for a job.

But now with my senior year just an hour away from starting, I sighed and wished I could do more to help her. I felt absolutely helpless in this situation, but…I shouldn't worry. Mom made good money, I knew that.

I groaned as I shuffled across the room. My room was far from clean. Everyone who visited my house knew that. From my best friend Mike to teachers that heard about it. I reached down and tossed a few dirty clothes into my hamper in a half-hearted gesture. Though I got older through the years, some things never changed, I supposed.

"Let's see…" I murmured to myself, looking at the clothes in my closet. It took me less than ten seconds to decide on a casual, snug fitting, blue band t-shirt and a pair of baggy jeans.

Walking into the bathroom that was just across from my bedroom, I looked at myself in the mirror. I was correct in my assumption - my blonde hair _was_ sticking out in every direction imaginable. My chocolate brown eyes looked tired, due to lack of sleep. I knew why. And I would be the only person to ever know why.

As I ran a comb through my hair, not caring really about what it looked like, I was reminded of the dream I had last night.

It was a familiar dream. One I had often.

Every now and then, ever since I met that beautiful woman in the forest, the woman with the thick brown hair and ochre eyes, the woman that saved my life, I dreamt about her. Each time it was something different, but she was always in them, with her beautiful pale skin, sparkling in the sunlight and her tinkling voice, like bells.

I wasn't surprised that I dreamt of her often. And I knew her features as if I had seen them more than once in my lifetime. Any one person that was the painfully beautiful would be impossible to forget.

The dreams I have would vary, but last night's was particularly familiar. I was in the forest, the same one I was in on that fateful day when I was eight, but in the dream I was older; I would be face to face with the heart-stopping brunette. She would come closer, kiss the crown of my head once more, much like she did almost ten years ago, and then I would open my eyes and she would be gone.

I splashed some water on my face, relishing in the coolness it brought against my skin. Stupidly, I was reminded of the coolness of her lips against the crown of my head. I shook my head from side to side, flinging some of the water droplets that clung to my head off and onto various other surfaces in the bathroom.

As I brushed my teeth, I thought what I knew for a while now - _I am completely insane._

What other explanation would there be? When I was eight years old, I was saved from getting eaten by a cougar by the most beautiful woman I had ever seen in my life, and she just happened to _sparkle _in the sunlight. What kind of sane person would be hung up on a girl that shouldn't even exist at all.

But I knew she exist. I was positive that the goddess of a woman had to exist. I could…_feel_ it. I could feel that she was real. Now, that could be considered crazy as well. But I was positive, almost verging on the desperate, that this woman was real.

The same desire I felt almost every morning washed over me.

I wanted to see her.

Even if just for a moment, I wanted to see her. All mahogany hair, golden eyes, pale and glittering skin… Just to justify my "obsession."

"Jasper! Are you ready yet, hon'?" Mom called up the stairs yet again.

I shouted down back at her, "Yes, ma'am!"

I shot out of the bathroom, grabbing a clean pair of white socks from my drawer before rushing down the stairs to meet my mother in the kitchen, where she was busy preparing fried eggs and grits, my favorite breakfast.

"Well, it's about time you got down here, Jazz," Mom said, giving me a sweet look. "You're not even going to get to eat your breakfast, you're here so late!"

I grabbed a piece of cold toast and chomped down on it, "That's always a plus." I muttered sarcastically between chews.

Mom laughed. She knew I was joking. She always did. So she instead changed the subject, "Excited?"

"About…?" I asked, my mouth full of toast; Mom looked disapprovingly at my manners (or lack thereof).

"School, sweetie." She said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "You're starting your senior year, Jazzy. Aren't you the least bit excited?"

"Uh…" I trailed off, unsure. I really hadn't realized it was really my senior year until Mom put it in my face like that. "I guess I'm excited."

Sure, it was a big deal. Graduating from high school, going to college, and making something of yourself. That's the plan. Too bad I had no clue what I was going to do with my life. I just had the "college" thing planned out. Not that I knew _where _I was going. No, I had no clue about that. I just knew that I was _going_ to college.

She ruffled my already messy hair and smiled at my no doubt confused expression, "You'll figure things out, sweetie. Don't you worry. You'll do what's best for you."

Strange how she knew my every thought practically, even before I would tell her what I was thinking. I guess that's what mothers do. They are psychic or something…

Mom looked at the clock above the stove and turned to me with a parental look. She kissed my forehead and a groaned in protest at the gesture. "Time to go, Jazz. Have a good day at school!"

"Oh, I will!" I called back sarcastically as I walked to the door, sliding my feet in my converses and opening the door as I grabbed my keys off the hook.

I walked to my car. A black Nissan Altima. Not the best thing in the world, nor the most masculine, but it was a nice car and it drove smoothly. That's the best I could get anyway in the small dealership Forks had to offer. So I was proud of it. Mom saved up two years of her paycheck to present it to me for my sixteenth birthday. I was seventeen now, and I still treated the car as if it were brand new.

I got in the driver's seat and cranked the car. Stifling a yawn, I pulled out of the driveway and into the street.

It was a matter of minutes until I got to the school. Forks was a small town, so everything was pretty much close together. I pulled into the school parking lot and tried to park my car in my usual spot, but…

My mouth dropped open when I saw what was there.

Now, I may not be much of a car enthusiast, but I appreciate a damn good looking car when I see one. And the vehicle that was parked in my routine spot was simply a masterpiece of engineering. Well, in the case of all the vehicles of Forks, it was a masterpiece.

A _fine _looking red convertible was parked in my spot. The hood was up, most likely in precaution to the unpredictable showers that occurred in Forks. Despite the lack of sunlight, the glossy crimson paint shone in whatever light was available.

I got out of my car, parked right alongside the red miracle of engineering, and stepped out of my own black car. It seemed really lackluster in comparison, and my car was arguably the best one at Forks High School. Locking the doors, I walked toward the convertible like I was being drawn to it…like it was _calling_ me with its shiny red paint job.

I got as close as I could to the car without touching it, just staring down at it like some kind of kid who had never seen a car before - let alone one as expensive looking at this. Hell, I probably looked like a kid who had never seen _money _before when I looked at this car.

I reached out a tentative hand, almost afraid to touch it. Who knows? The person with this car probably had a fancy alarm built in it to it. When I touch it, it screeches in alarm. I've seen stuff like that on television. Or, even better yet (worse in my case), they could have a built in laser system that shocks you…

"See anything you like?"

I was jolted out of my ridiculously naïve reverie by a musical voice, like the sound of bells…

My heart stopped in my chest.

I jerked up, half-expecting to be met with a pair of golden eyes and to see the crown of rich brown hair…

Well, I got the golden eyes right.

_Beautiful…_ was the first word that came to my mind. Which was strange because I was looking at a _guy_ of all things.

This guy was looking at me with an amused smirk, as if he knew what I was thinking. He had tousled bronze colored hair that looked like he meant for it to appear stylishly unkempt like that. His golden orbs watched me with curiosity, and I felt a familiar pang in my chest as I thought of those same eyes, but with a different owner, staring back at me, almost a decade ago…

I quirked a brow at his pale skin. If he were sparkling, I would guess he would be related in some respect to the brunette girl I had become obsessed with thinking about over the course of a few years.

Now, he was looking at me with barely hidden confusion. What had I done now?

I found my voice and answered his earlier question, "Uh, yeah. This is a really nice car…I was just admiring it…" I gave a nervous laugh and he smiled at me.

"Well, I'll be sure to tell my sister you said so."

"Sister?" Any girl that shared this guy's gene pool, I was willing to meet.

"Ah, yes," The mysterious boy said, now with the amused expression on his face again. Like I was missing some joke or something… "Me and my family are new here. I'm Edward Cullen."

"Uh…" My voice sounded ridiculously mundane compared to his, "Nice to meet you. Jasper Whitlock's my name." I held out my hand politely.

He took it and I felt shivers go up and down my spine.

This _Edward Cullen's _touch was icy cold. Just like the sparkling woman from years ago…

My thoughts were once again interrupted. This time, by the bell signaling school to start. I gave a rough laugh, "Well, I guess we should head to class."

Edward nodded, "Yes. I'll see you around, Jasper."

He started to walk away from me and all of a sudden, I felt a sickening nausea in my stomach. The bronze haired man walked with that same uncanny grace that I had memorized only by the one time I saw _her_.

_I wish I knew her name…_

Shaking my head to clear it of any thoughts of the dazzling woman, I sighed before mentally slapping myself. I was getting foolishly hopeful. What were the chances that she actually had something to do with Edward anyway? I was jumping to conclusions. It was stupid, but at this point, I was willing to go with anything that meant that I could see her again.

My feet were propelling me forward without me actually willing them to go. It was like when I first saw that car - I was in a daze.

"…per. Jasper!"

I started, looking around for the direction where that voice came from, "Yes?"

Jessica Stanley stared at me intently, smiling sweetly, flirtatiously, "Hey, Jasper."

I sighed, giving in to her smile and returned it with one of my own. "Mornin', Jessica."

She giggled and turned to walk with me, evening her pace with my own, slower, more relaxed way of walking. Her curly hair was as untamed as ever, fraying about around her face. She was pretty, any guy could see that, and one of my good friends, but she obviously wanted to take our friendship somewhere I'd rather not.

"How was your summer?" She asked, looking at me with large, innocent eyes.

"It was good. Yours?"

"Mine was great! I…" She then launched into her entire story about how her and Lauren Mallory (the bitchy beauty queen of Forks) had lifeguard duty at the community pool and how there were these other cute lifeguards or some shit…

My thoughts were directed onto the strange new boy, the one who reminded me so much of the brown haired woman…

She was done with her lifeguard story and grabbed my schedule out of my hands. I hadn't even realized I was holding it. "Oh! Good, we have almost all of our classes together, except seventh hour. Hm…" I could practically hear the wheels turning in her head as she tried to figure out how to get our last class of the day to match each other.

We arrived in first hour History. I looked at the desks and sat down in the one closest to the back, my usual seat in any class I took. Jessica gladly took the seat in front of me. I brightened when Mike entered the room. Maybe he would distract Jess from me.

"Jazzy!" Mike exclaimed, waving largely over to me as he walked briskly over and took the seat across from me. He gave me an overly enthusiastic high five - oh, Mike, Mike, Mike, dorky little Mike… - and grinned enthusiastically at me, "How are you, bud?"

I laughed at his expression and grinned lazily at him, "Good, good. Jess was just talkin' about - "

"The new students!" Jessica exclaimed with renewed vigor as she met Mike's blue eyes with her own, "I just caught a glimpse of them early this morning and _gosh_! They looked like they just walked off of a movie set! Jasper, you know you're the best looking guy in this school, but seriously, they were…like _wow_…"

"Hey, what about me?" Mike complained, joking. Jessica looked at him, smirking, and wrote him off as she continued to talk about the "beautiful" people.

"Yeah…" I interrupted before she could go fully into detail, "I met one of the guys, too. His name's Edward Cullen. He owns this _amazing_ car. Or, rather, he told me his sister does."

"You met him? Did you mention anything about me?" Jessica practically tripped over her tongue trying to get the words out.

"No, Jess…" I sighed, laughing lightly, "We just talked about the car and the bell rang. Then you came up…"

"Oh…okay," The air deflated right out of Jessica's balloon as I broke the news to her. She sighed and then smiled, "They're all _together_. That's what I've heard."

I blinked in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"Well, their father is Dr. Carlisle Cullen. His wife is Esme Cullen, and you see, she isn't able to have children, so they adopted all of these kids. Five of them. None of them are really related, except for the two brothers and one sister…I still don't know all of their names, so…" She trailed off as she heard the collective gasps of everyone in the room.

Angela Weber, another good friend of mine, had come up quietly and sat beside Jessica. Her warm brown eyes were widened with surprise, "Wow…" She muttered, "I'm guessing that _those _are the Cullens."

I sat up straighter in my chair, as if they would care about my lack of posture, and looked at the array of beautiful people walking in the door.

A muscular boy was first. He was almost bodybuilder-like in his massive appearance. His dark, curly hair made him have a boyish look to him. He was smiling impishly, the dimples sticking out even with the slightest of smiles. He was tall, and I could already tell that he dwarfed all of the others. He was also pale…and had the same golden colored eyes.

On his arm was a breathtakingly beautiful blonde woman. Her hair fell like golden waves around her shoulders and back, shimmering slightly in the light of the classroom. She was also tall, statuesque, and slender. Her skin was the milkiest of white, matching the strong looking boy's in appearance. And her eyes were the same color as her hair - golden.

The next one to enter was Edward, and walking across from him - or rather _dancing_ it looked like - was a tiny, petite young girl with short, spiky black hair that stuck out every which way. Her skin was deathly pale as well, and her topaz eyes contrasted starkly with the inky color of her hair.

Edward gave me a look and then smiled, again, as if he knew something I didn't. I could tell that was going to get annoying after a while.

I closed my eyes for a moment, wondering if they hurt from staring too long or from the fact that they were all so painfully gorgeous…

I was like that for a moment, until I realized that Jess said there were _five _of them. I had only seen four…

My eyes shot open automatically, with a hope I couldn't suppress.

I was met with the shock of my life.

Memories flashed in my mind, as clear as if they were made yesterday: the dead cougar, laying bloodless and crumpled on the forest floor; and the hauntingly beautiful mahogany haired woman kissing my forehead, her lips as cold as ice…

The brunette woman walked into the room cautiously, her golden eyes scanning the room in curiosity. Her skin was still pale, her eyes the same color of ochre, and her hair the same rich color of brown it had been the day I met her.

She looked exactly the same as she did nearly a decade ago.

The woman looked over at me, and for a brief moment, our eyes met before she pulled away from me with a shocked gaze.

My heart was thudding sporadically in my chest, as if I had just got done with a twenty mile run.

_She looks the same! Exactly the same! _I screamed in my head, clenching my fists tightly together.

She ghosted over to sit next to Edward and the other insanely beautiful people.

_She looks exactly like she did…all those years ago…_

_But, __**how**_?

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_**End Chapter One.**_

_There ya go! I tried to get this chapter up as soon as I could. I'm so happy for all the positive things everyone had to say about this fic, and I hope chapter one is liked just as good as the prologue was! And to answer **Goth Wierd Gypsey**, Edward and Alice will be a couple. And, if anyone cares to know about the relationships...well, Bella, Edward and Emmett are supposedly the only ones related by blood - they have the last name Cullen. Rosalie is the same in the book - a Hale. And Alice...well, I'll save that for later, lol. But she's the same too, basically. Except for her last name in the book. Hopefully I didn't just confuse some people. Haha. It'll all be clear later. Oh, and the car Jasper saw - Rose's, of course. _

_Anyway, it means a lot that everyone has taken the time out to read this fic, and I can't wait to hear your responses! I hope you liked this chapter!_

_Thanks!_


	3. Blast From The Past

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Twilight!_

_Thanks again for the responses! They mean a lot. It's awesome to know that so many people like this story and like what I'm doing with it. It's really amazing lol. _

_Alright, so enough of that, here's chapter two!_

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**Long Road to Ruin  
****Chapter Two: Blast From The Past**

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**Jasper.**

My eyes were so wide, it felt as if they would take up the extent of my face if it were possible.

I gulped, and Mike looked over at me with a grin, "She's hot, huh? All of them are, really. I think I'm gonna ask the blonde to go with me - "

"Are you insane, Mike?" Jessica stumbled over her words of protest, "I'm willing to bet that the huge guy is her boy toy! He would crush you, for real!"

I was taken back nine years, back to when that very woman saved my life. I touched the crown of my hair, remembering the feel of her cold lips there, and shuddered at the thought.

What was going on?!

Was I going absolutely insane?

The answer right now was pointing to "yes."

The brunette beauty avoided my gaze still, talking so fast I could barely make out her lip movements. One by one, they furtively stole glances at me, so fast I could barely be certain they looked my way at all.

The brown haired girl looked at me and our eyes held for one moment that seemed like forever, though it must've been only less than three seconds.

She turned away, hiding behind a thick curtain of mahogany hair.

I turned away from her, focusing back onto my group of friends, who were talking about the flawlessness of the new students.

I tuned out what they were talking about, too absorbed with my own problems to care about their assessment of the beautiful people.

I felt it in my gut, something wasn't right here.

I just didn't know _what_.

As I tried to focus my thoughts on something else, our teacher took out some kind of ancient book that was as huge as it was old, and started to drone on and on into a monotonous tone about wars and how if we learned what caused them, then we can avoid getting into them in the future. Learn from our mistakes, he was basically getting at.

I sighed, my skin suddenly feeling on edge, as if someone was watching me. I turned in the direction I felt the eyes from and gasped.

The brunette woman was staring at me.

I turned back, the motion almost giving me whiplash.

"Wow," Angela murmured, "Jazz, you already have an admirer."

"Unlikely." And it was the truth. What would that woman want to do with someone like me? Besides, if she really was my savior, then she couldn't have remembered me in the first place. But maybe, in some slim chance, I was just as appealing to her as she was to me. As a teenager. Not when I was eight. That would've been strange…

My skull started to throb. Great, all this thinking was starting to give me a headache.

The lecture in class was long and one-dimensional. Boring. Oh, yes, couldn't forget boring. It lasted pretty much all class hour, until five minutes before the bell rang for second period, the teacher said, "And you have to read pages twelve to fifteen for homework tonight." Not a huge load of homework, but still, couldn't he have at least given us a pass, considering that this was our first day?

I groaned as I jotted the page numbers down on my hand with my pen, otherwise I would never remember.

I looked back at the brunette woman and saw her gazing at me once more, but this time she had an amused, and yet still alluring, smile on her features, as if she thought my little "quirk" was cute.

Not only did I figure I was insane, but I was probably hallucinating things as well. Why would she smile at that? That made no sense…

I was thinking too much again, and my head gave a pound in response.

The ringing of the bell was a relief; I gathered my books and started for the door.

I guess I wasn't watching where I was going, but when I was at the door frame, ready to step out into the hallway, I ran into what felt like a freezing cold brick wall. The force of it nearly threw me to the floor, but I managed to save my dignity by grasping onto the nearest thing - the "nearest thing" just happened to be someone's arm. But in the process of doing that, my textbook and binder fell from my hands and onto the floor. The "wall," was actually a person, and she grabbed the items before they hit the tiled floor.

I stared in disbelief as my grip tightened unconsciously onto the arm of the brunette girl. The girl must have had some killer reflexes. She looked at me sheepishly and handed me the books, "Here. You dropped these."

"_Are you alright, little boy?"_

The two voices were exactly the same.

I had to swallow before I could reply, "A-Ah, thank you, darlin'."

I almost slapped myself for my reflexive "darlin'". Seriously? I just had to blurt out with that in front of her. Idiot!

Instead of rolling her eyes and stomping off, like I imagined she would do in the face of such a simpleton, she gave a laugh that sounded like the most delicate of wind chimes and took the hand that grasped her arm into her other hand. Shaking it, she said, "Bella Cullen. And you are?"

Oh, so the beauty had a name. I was surprised at how happy I was with this. Just to know the name of the woman who saved me was a relief - and a pleasure.

As she shook my hand, the unnatural coldness crept through my system, chilling me to my bones. I looked at her face as she stared at me with a sense of disbelief and wonder…and _speculation_? She was waiting for my reply, so I gave it to her.

"I'm Jasper Whitlock," I said in the most charming way I could muster. I probably looked like a fool. I sure felt like one in her presence. "Nice to meet you, Bella."

_Bella. _I liked the way it sounded on my tongue.

"Pleasure's all mine," Bella said with a tone that I couldn't decipher, "Now…" Her eyes took on a joking look, "Try to watch out where you're going. Wouldn't want you to hurt yourself."

She took her hand from mine and walked away, but not before giving me one last parting glance. A glance that held so much within it, I couldn't even start to figure out what it meant.

_Bella Cullen._

I suddenly realized that I wanted to know more about her.

Even if it would cost me.

* * *

**Bella.**

"What the _hell _was that?"

Rosalie looked at me with an annoyed expression, her perfect features a mixture of uneasiness as well as annoyance. She was practically snarling as I walked up to them in the hall. Apparently, they had witnessed all of my exchange with Jasper Whitlock.

So the boy from eight years ago had a name.

_Jasper Whitlock._

I remembered this beautiful little boy, all covered in dirt and sweat, making his way through the forest, acting as if he hadn't a care in the world. He tripped, fell, scraped his knees, and I had to hold my breath to control the blood lust that overwhelmed me. His blood smelled sweet, innocent, much as it did now. Not much had changed, apparently.

When the little boy had risen, he was face to face with the cougar. A vicious predator that was intent on making him its next meal.

I was suddenly overwhelmed with the desire to protect this innocent, carefree little boy. So, I shot forward, faster than any creature on this earth, and wrapped my arms around the big cat.

The cougar wasn't able to move its paws, for I had them pinned against its furry body. The dagger-like fangs of the cat dug into my neck, uneffective against my rock hard skin. In return, I bit into the soft, warm flesh of his neck, right at the jugular, and fed. It took less that a few minutes for me to drain the creature dry. I had dropped him to the ground at about the time when the young boy looked up in wonder.

The sun was out, I should've known hunting during the daytime was a bad idea, for I was glittering like a disco ball when the young boy first cast his eyes upon me. I figured that it couldn't hurt anything. He was young. Human memories fade with time. So I comforted him, asking him if he was alright, and kissed his forehead, still holding my breath as a precaution.

Then I raced off to find my family.

All of my memories of that day were vivid. It was the first time I had revealed myself - however inadvertently - to a human. To say the least, my family wasn't happy with me. But I said that he was young, and probably wouldn't remember if I were to ever see him again. Not that I believed I would…but…

Jasper Whitlock was the spitting image of his younger self. Wide, childlike brown eyes, with a tinge of maturity laced in them through years of experience. Wild blonde hair was still unruly, but now it made him look more like a brooding movie star than a messy little kid looking for trouble. He had grown considerably, now dwarfing me. He was a little bit taller than Edward. He was skinny, slender, but had the definition of muscle made blatantly obvious by the snug fitting shirt he wore.

I had no doubt it was him. Even with Edward's warning of his thoughts, of his prior knowledge of me, I would've known it was him when I first saw him.

The image of his large chocolate eyes gazing up at me when he was but a child entered my brain once again.

I sighed, and turned to face Rosalie, "I just helped him with his books."

The blonde almost growled in disapproval at me, "Edward said that guy knows it's you…when you _saved _him."

"It wouldn't be wise to talk to him, Bella," Edward soothed, his identical golden eyes looking at me with sympathy. "You could end up hurting him…and he doesn't need to be pulled into this world."

I gulped. No…I couldn't even imagine his innocent countenance mixed in with our…_existence_. "I…guess you're right." With that admittance, I felt a pang in my chest. I hadn't realized I had wanted to get to know him so bad that it hurt to not even be able to get close to the blonde boy.

"Technically," Alice spoke up after blowing the spiky black bangs of her hair upward, "he already knows something's up."

_Ah, good ole Alice. _I thought. Thank goodness my thoughts were the only ones Edward couldn't here.

"So," The pixie-like girl spoke with a casualness that I envied, "I don't see what would be the problem. I mean Bella already has abnormal self-control and - "

"You already know Bella's going to ignore whatever we just said, don't you?" Emmett, my burly, adopted big brother spoke up with a chuckle. Alice nodded in her reply, giving a laugh that sounded like elegant church bells.

Edward glared at me when that information reached his ears. I just chuckled lightly, nervously, and Alice gave me a wink, which I returned. Rosalie gave a hushed laugh at Edward's expression.

But, even though Alice already saw me talking to Jasper in the future, I almost didn't want to. Someone like him shouldn't be subjected to our world…a world of bloodlust and danger…

I gulped, a unconscious reaction from my human days, and then stretched my arms above my head.

I would try not to talk to him…I would try to have a resolve like Edward's. Self-control over my desires, not just over my thirst. I would just talk to him to be polite… I would try not to endanger my family by hanging around him, by becoming his friend, by… No, I couldn't allow myself to think that. That was silly.

I wouldn't allow Jasper Whitlock to become part of my world.

The world where mythical creatures existed.

The world where vampires were _real_.

And I, along with my adopted family, was one of them.

* * *

**Jasper.**

She was the only thing on my mind as I walked into my second period class.

I almost slapped myself in my foolishness. _Don't get carried away, Jazz. She talked to you once. So what? It was only out of being polite._

I kept telling myself that, even as she and her sister - the one with the dark, pixie-like haircut - walked into the English class, talking animatedly about something, I wasn't sure. The black haired girl whispered something into her ear and she looked down, as if she were embarrassed. I quirked a brow at the scene.

This was the one class I had with only Jessica, who was talking to Lauren. Jessica claimed the seat across from me, just behind Lauren. They were whispering at each other, giggling at appropriate times, and smiling. I was wondering what Jess and Lauren could be talking about, and was deep in thought, when the English teacher, Mrs. Davis, started talking, and diverted my attention from their conversation.

I looked ahead and was met with a shocking sight.

Bella Cullen was sitting right in front of me.

My eyes widened with the sight of her magnificently coiffed dark brown hair that fell in waves just to her mid-back. Her slender form was sitting straight up and I could see the slight rise and fall of her body as she breathed in and out. Her shirt, which was a form fitting powder blue of the peasant variety, hung to her slight frame in a most appealing way. Her legs were splayed out in front of her, ankles crossed.

Her petite sister - adopted, I guessed, for Bella and Edward's last name was Cullen, and Jessica said that there were two actual brothers and one sister…that's where I got my logic from, at least - was sitting to Bella's left, straight across from her. She turned infinitesimally and smirked in my direction, as if she already _knew _about what was going through my mind. About how Bella saved my life when I was eight.

Of course, Bella wouldn't admit it. Not outright. Not if there was something at stake if I knew about…whatever she was. And I didn't know when the right time was to bring it up…

I leaned forward with my chin in my hand and tried to listen to the droning sound of pronouns and predicate nominatives.

Nothing really stuck in my brain, nothing stood out. All class I was enamored at staring at the back of Bella's head, which was every bit as beautiful as the rest of her. But she never turned around, never greeted me, never even looked at me as she passed the worksheets back to me… It was odd, but…well, maybe it had a right to be odd.

I was feeling the sting of rejection, when the short girl spoke up, "Bella's really shy. Don't worry 'bout her."

"Alice!" Bella said, obviously angry at what the black haired girl - now revealed as "Alice" - just said.

"Aw, don't worry, Bella," Alice smiled and looked at me, "It's not a matter of life and death if you talk to the boy."

"But - " Bella clamped her mouth shut with an audible _click_, as if she were about to give something vitally important away.

Alice smiled and held her hand out to me. It was small and dainty, very girly, but beautiful just like the rest of her. The all-too-familiar set of blazing topaz eyes looked into my own brown ones with a familiarity that was beyond me. It was as if Alice knew me or something like that…

"I'm Alice Masen," She said with a giggle, and Bella looked at her as if there were some kind of inside joke at that, giggling as well, "Pleasure to meet you."

I took her hand, my own larger, slimmer hand dwarfed it easily, "Jasper Whitlock. Nice to meet you, darlin'."

Alice laughed at my habit of calling girls "darlin'." I almost slapped myself again.

Her hand was still in my own, and there was an unnatural chill to her touch. Much like Edward's. Much like Bella's. There golden eyes were all the same topaz, but varying in shade. Some were light butterscotch, others were hard like the gemstone itself. How was that possible?

She took her hand out of mine with a slight laugh, her eyes drifting to Bella and then to me once again with an impish smile.

"I have a feeling we're all going to be great friends, Jazzy." She said with that same easy familiarity. I smiled back. "Bella, stop being so shy and talk to him."

The brunette tensed, as if she hated the fact that she had been called out by her sister, but turned around nonetheless, her eyes issuing a warning to Alice. I wondered what that was about - was I _that _repulsive of a person?

I suddenly felt self-conscious as she turned her gaze on me, changing her hard gaze into one of softness. That eased my tension just a tad. Not much, but anything helped in this situation.

"Hello, again," She voiced, the chiming of her voice sounding so familiar, but not like the dull imitation my dreams always produced.

"Hey," I said, smiling, though the timbre of Southern twang in my voice was so…unsophisticated compared to her tinkling voice.

The intensity of her gaze took my breath away. Those eyes, the exact same as when I first glimpsed upon them all those years ago, looked the same. Her appearance hadn't changed not one bit. I would've thought maybe this was a girl who looked a lot like that sparkling woman, but…no. No woman would ever match her beauty.

Bella was the woman who saved me. That much was sure.

I didn't know how she looked the same - no plastic surgeon could do that good of work. I couldn't explain the uncanny similarities between her and her "family," nor could I explain any other of the unnatural circumstances - the icy touch, the golden eyes, the too-pale skin, and the utter perfection of all their features.

How was all this possible? I still wasn't sure, nor could I ever be sure unless I asked Bella straight up… I needed to gather courage to do that, firstly. And then…well, I wasn't sure what would happen. What answer I would receive. No doubt I would get a few crazy looks, maybe she would just laugh and walk off…

I would hope she wouldn't dismiss the event that had been such a turning point in my life.

I would also hope she would tell me the truth.

No matter how much that truth would change my life.

* * *

_**End Chapter Two.**_

_Well, there ya go! Chapter two! I hoped y'all enjoyed it. I got so many ideas in my head for this that it's hard to keep track of them all! Haha. I wanna thank all of y'all for your kind reviews and support. They mean the world. I'm so glad everyone likes this fic and your support is awesome! Oh and just for a fun little fact - the playoffs start today! NBA PLAYOFFS! Something I'm hugely excited about lol. I dunno if there are any other sports nerds out there like me but yeah. Go Lakers! Haha. _

_Also, this story is going to be mostly in JPOV, but Bella's POV will be in there too! Haha. And again, thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter!_

_I'll send Hottie McHotHot - Jasper! - to your house if you review! Lol._

_Thanks again!_


	4. Pins and Needles

_**Disclaimer:** __I don't own Twilight!_

_Thanks so much for your reviews! They mean so much to me and I am so glad about all of the kind responses and awesome reviews from the fellow JasperBella shippers! I hope you like this chapter as well!_

_Enjoy!_

* * *

**Long Road to Ruin  
Chapter Three: Pins and Needles**

* * *

**Jasper.**

The rest of the day was pretty…interesting. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised that Bella was also in several other of my classes. I also shouldn't have been surprised that she didn't sit anywhere near me in the classes that she didn't have with Alice - which were basically every class after second period.

Third hour flew by faster than I expected, then came fourth, then fifth, and then finally lunchtime. I was starving by this time and I practically ran to the cafeteria, which was really, a very small building, considering how little our school was.

Sighing, I moved in time with everyone else, who were walking forward at a slow pace. Everyone had gotten out at the same time, practically, and the line was congested. I groaned in impatience as my stomach let out a loud growl.

Tyler Crowley, another one of my friends, was in front of me and chuckled loudly, "Jazz, do you ever eat?"

"Of course!" I said back, ignoring the looks that everyone gave me.

"Maybe you should get a little more meat on them bones, dude," He said, giving me a look up and down, "Football season starts in just a few weeks. We need our RB to be strong enough to take a hit!"

I laughed. Yes, I was an avid sportsman. I loved every sport - from football to basketball to baseball. Even the ones we didn't have at Forks High, such as tennis and volleyball. "But isn't the running back's job to _run_? And if I get too fat, well…that won't be possible?" I joked.

Tyler laughed at me, "Right, right. But just eat so I don't gotta listen to that _monster _growl." He pointed to my stomach and let out another uninterrupted chuckle.

"Do we have practice today?" I asked Tyler, giving him a questioning look.

"Nah," Tyler dismissed. He was the quarterback as well as team captain for the Forks High football team, so I assumed he knew these things. I was vice-captain, and I still didn't know when our practice was, "Coach Clapp is just going to go over everything. You know, what is 'acceptable' and was isn't. Like every other year. Then practice starts tomorrow during sixth and seventh hour gym class."

I nodded, smiling. The football players got to have their usual sixth period class - a study hall - converted into a P.E. class. Seventh period gym was when the others who had gym came in and Coach made them do one odd sport or another, but the football players still had to practice just that - football.

My grin widened as Tyler continued to tell me about plays and whatnot. I was already excited about this season. I think we had a good chance to at least play good ball. I mean, Forks wasn't exactly the best football team in the state, being as FHS was unbearably small and had few guys who actually wanted to be a part of a notorious "losing" team. But in the last few years, we've improved and honed our skills and weren't half bad. Still not as good as, say, Port Angeles' team (they were our in-state rival), but not too bad.

I was probably just disillusioning myself, of course. I tended to head toward the optimistic side of things.

Tyler sighed after he stopped talking, and ran a hand over his short hair. Lauren Mallory stood beside him, her perfectly coiffed icy blonde hair billowing over her shoulders, pin-straight as always. She gave me a look with her fishy blue eyes before looping her arm through Tyler's.

"You should ask him about his new _girlfriend_, Ty," Lauren said, a snooty edge to her voice.

"Ah, really? Jazzy Whitlock finally got a girl?"

I blinked in a mixture of confusion and curiosity. What was Lauren talking about? My eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

Unless she meant…

"Bella?" I asked, still not sure.

"Yeah," Lauren said, as if it were the most painfully obvious thing she had ever said in her lifetime. "Of course. Tyler, you know the family that just moved here? The Cullens?"

Tyler looked skeptically at her, most likely also wondering what she was getting at, "Uh…yeah. All those pretty people."

I snickered. Tyler referring to the Cullens as "pretty" made me want to burst into laughter, but I held it back. Instead, I said, "No…I don't have a girlfriend."

"Could've fooled me." Lauren said, rolling her eyes. "With the way you were staring at her all day."

What? Had I really been staring at Bella _that much_? I felt my heart speed up. I hoped no one else noticed that like Lauren did. Again, I insisted, "No, Lauren. I'm…not involved."

Tyler smiled and clapped my back in several hard swipes, "That's alright, Jazzy." He said with a grin, "Jess sure likes you, though."

I blinked yet again, "Uh…really?" I acted as if I didn't know, but I had known for a while, anyway. And I wasn't sure what to do about it, at least not yet, anyway.

"Duh," Lauren said with yet another one of her famous eye-rolls.

That was basically the end of that conversation, and I walked forward, grabbing a tray and putting a variety of items on it - a basket of chicken strips, fries, pudding, and a soda. Looks like they were going to treat us nicely on the first day back to school.

I walked forward, looking at all of the tables that were free. Tyler waved at me to follow him and sit down, and I did so. He went and sat down beside Mike, Angela, and Jessica, with Lauren never straying from his side. Ben Cheney sat beside Angela, looking rather happily as he had an arm draped over her shoulders.

As I sat down, Jess's eyes lit up, much like Angela's whenever Ben entered the room. I noticed that there was a spot conspicuously saved for me right beside the Stanley girl. I groaned inwardly, wishing they wouldn't force this stuff on me. I wouldn't complain, though, so I sat beside her.

Jess giggled as I sat down, "Jasper…" She began.

I looked up at her, chicken strip halfway to my mouth, and said, "Hm?"

She looked at me, then at Mike, who was sitting across from her. Jessica looked like she couldn't keep her laughter in. Eventually, she just blurted out, "Mike totally got shot down!"

I chewed my food and then swallowed, looking from Jess to Mike and back again, before laughing slightly, "Don't tell me - "

"He asked Rosalie out!" Jessica cut me off before erupting into yet another series of cackling giggles.

I looked at Jessica, "Rosalie?"

"The hot blonde." She then pointed to the golden haired beauty sitting right next to Bella and Alice across the lunchroom, at a table adjacent to ours.

"Ah," I then burst into laughter, "Mike, I didn't know you were serious!" My loud, booming laughter echoed throughout the lunchroom.

Mike looked at Jess sourly, "Thanks a lot, Jess."

"No problem!" She chirped, looking happy at the sound of my chuckling. No doubt she thought she was the cause of it. Which was probably right, since she contributed to it. I just hope she didn't get the wrong idea.

"How did that happen?" Lauren chided in her sneering voice.

"Mike goes up to Rosalie and says 'Hey, baby. Did it hurt when you fell from Heaven?'" Jessica could hardly get through the story, she was laughing so hard. Mike looked like he had swallowed something foul. "Then she says, 'No, but it will hurt when Emmett over here sends you flying up there. You do know he used to be a linebacker.'"

I laughed again - this was all so easy to picture. And funny too. I sure needed a laugh after the events today brought on. What with Bella and all. I sighed and crammed a few fries into my mouth in unison. Jessica giggled at my bad table manners.

Tyler broke the silence, "That big guy…that's Emmett, right?"

Jessica nodded. "Yup. That's him."

"Wow. Him as a linebacker? Damn, that would be amazing." Tyler's _captain of the football team_ mind was working at full force. I could almost see the gears turning in his head as he thought of a way to go over to the table and ask the curly haired Cullen to join the team. "Jazz." He called over my way.

"Yes, oh great captain?" I said sarcastically, jokingly, although I knew where his train of thought was going. And I didn't like it too much.

"Go over there and chat up Emmett."

"Wh-Why?" I said, flustered. I didn't even know the guy!

"Well, you know Bella, so I'm sure - "

"Just because I've come into contact with one of the new kids doesn't mean I'm the go-to guy for all things related to them." I defended myself, taking a swig from my soda and placing it back down on the table. "Besides, Tyler, _you're _the captain. Shouldn't you be the recruiter for football players?"

He looked at me, an arch in one of his brows, and said, "You're co-captain, Jazzy." He said, matter-of-factly, "You should be willing to go and talk to him."

I ground my teeth together slightly, but I wasn't sure why I was so against going over there. Maybe because of the fact that Bella was over there and I wasn't ready to deal with all the questions in my head referring to her yet. I wasn't sure. I was just hesitant about heading over there…it almost made me feel like I was intruding on some kind of clique. Like an elite group that didn't want anything to do with normal people, let alone some lanky, sports-affiliated kid like myself. I felt like I was going to be on pins and needles around them. The feeling was not well-received in the recesses of my stomach.

I took a chunk out of one of my chicken strips and chewed thoughtfully.

"Chicken?" Tyler teased. He knew I couldn't resist that of all things. Calling me a coward. That was something I hated. He knew that. And even though I knew he was using that against me, I couldn't go against it. "C'mon, don't tell me you're _scared_ of them, Jazzeroo."

"No." I said immediately, sharply, and Tyler smirked, knowing he got me. I knew it as well as everyone else at the table did. They snickered at my sudden predictability as I rose from my seat, my jaw set in stubborn resolve, and walked over to the Cullens' table.

They sat in eerie silence. Just staring out in front of themselves. Not moving, except for a few awkward gestures. Their food hadn't been touched. It sat, uneaten, on their plates. I wondered why that was. I mean…who got food but didn't eat it?

Edward turned his head as soon as I arrived at the edge of the table, but said nothing, only gave me a mysterious smile. I blinked, confused, and then sighed in exasperation. "Hey, y'all."

Alice snickered and elbowed Bella in her ribs. The brunette looked down at her untouched food with shy eyes, before gazing up at me beneath wispy lashes.

However, Edward was the first one to talk, "Ah, my fellow car-lover," He said, and I saw that tinge of utter…_knowing_ in his eyes. It was strange. This wasn't the first time I came into contact with that look. I wondered what it meant, if anything.

I stuffed my hands into my jean pockets and nodded in his direction with a smile. "Who's car was that, anyway? Which of your sisters?"

Nice, yeah. Try to open up friendly conversation before you got down to business. Right…

Edward smiled crookedly at me and jabbed his thumb in the blonde's direction. "Rosalie's." He said simply. "Well, I know Bella and Alice have already become acquainted with you, but this is Rosalie Hale," He pointed to the breathtaking blonde sitting across from him, her hand entwined with the body-builder-esque man beside her, "and her boyfriend, Emmett Cullen."

"Nice to meet you," I said sincerely, holding out my hand. Rosalie gave me a smile, though it seemed strange. Almost forced. She took my hand and the coldness of her grasp shouldn't have startled me, but it did. I guess I would've never gotten used to that feeling.

Emmett's hand was outstretched and waiting for mine. I took it, and there it was again. That same, unnatural coldness in the hand that dwarfed mine easily. It was a strong and firm handshake, Tyler would be happy to hear.

"What…brings you over here, Jasper?"

I inhaled sharply, hoping no one else at the table heard that. They didn't seem to laugh at me or anything, but still…I was surprised Bella was addressing me directly, especially after second period, where she almost ignored me while Alice talked.

I gave her a warm smile, meeting her brilliant topaz eyes that were focused on my own chocolate ones. "I actually came over here as…well, a _recruiter_." I chuckled as I used the same word I had with Tyler. "I was just hearing about how Miss Hale over here rejected Mike - " I snickered, closing my eyes with the memory. Everyone at the table seemed to laugh along with me as well. They obviously found amusement in that as well, " - and I heard Emmett used to be a linebacker." It got quiet. Had I said something wrong? "And…" I continued lightheartedly, trying not to get discouraged, "Tyler, over there is the captain of the football team. I'm co-captain." I added with just a hint of pride. Maybe Bella would like that.

"So," I tried to finish up quickly, seeing as the Cullens eyed each other warily, "He said basically you looked like a damn good linebacker and wanted me to come over and talk to you about it."

Emmett grinned, the dimples in his pale cheeks sticking out like a sore thumb. But they made him look more like a big kid than a big bully, like all of my friends were making him out to be. "Well," He said, and his voice had that same, almost musical tone to it, but not as profound as the girls, "I would love to, but…I can't." His voice held a sad tone to it, as did his eyes.

"Hm?" I questioned, quirking a brow. The Cullens looked at me suspiciously, wondering if I would ask why, no doubt. But I didn't have to. Emmett explained further.

"I just had surgery on my knee," He said, his eyes looking completely sincere. And I was completely fooled if he was lying, "The doc told me I shouldn't play this year…not to aggravate the injury any further."

My eyes softened visibly. _Poor guy, _I thought. _It sounds like he really enjoyed football too. And he can't play._

"I'm sorry to hear that," I said sincerely, "Really. Bet you were great when you played, though, huh?" I lightly punched his shoulder in a buddy-like manner and immediately winced. Damn! It felt like I had just hit a cement block! _What is that guy made of? Boulders? Shit!_

I didn't say anything though, and tried to keep the pain out of my eyes. I put my hand down by my side as casually as I could, trying to keep my cool and not look like a total wimp.

"Oh, yeah," Emmett said cheerfully, "Made guys cry, back in the day." He laughed and Rosalie joined in, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

'_Bout to make one cry right now! _I thought, clenching and unclenching my fist, flexing my fingers. Did he break it?

"Sounds like good times," I said, smiling warmly before looking at Bella, who was gazing at my hand, the injured one, with concerned eyes, as if she knew that I was close to screaming out. "Well, I guess I'll get back to my lunch. It was nice meeting y'all."

"Nice meeting you, too." Rosalie chimed before gazing a Bella with confused eyes.

The brunette gave me a wave, "Bye, Jasper."

"Bye." I smiled and walked away.

What just happened didn't sit well with me. It sure has hell didn't answer any questions either.

If anything, it made a million more come into existence.

* * *

**Bella.**

I watched Jasper walk away, idly noting how his jeans hugged his hips ever so slightly, and the way the light blue shirt clung to his well sculpted torso - I could see that even underneath his shirt, he was well-built. I noticed that he was clenching his right hand, the hand that had come into contact with Emmett's shoulder in a friendly gesture of camaraderie, clenched slightly. He winced as he contracted it, flexing his long fingers nimbly. I pursed my lips, worried that he had seriously injured himself.

He obviously didn't know that we were rock-hard, like diamonds, like concrete, like the hardest of stones. Of course, how could he have?

I sighed, and then looked at Alice, who was giving me a mischievous look with her light gold colored eyes. Did she see something again? I wasn't sure if I wanted to know, anyway.

"Well," Emmett broke the silence, "He seems like a nice guy."

Edward nodded in agreement, "One of the most _sincere _and _kind _minds I've ever heard."

I was in slight shock. Edward had heard everything from greedy to horny to bitchy to downright _mean-spirited _ever since we got here. Only a seldom few stood out in his mind as kind and sincere - Jasper was one of those few. It made me smile with a kind of pride I wasn't sure I had in context with him.

"He's a good guy." Alice commented, as if she had seen something in relation to that.

I looked down at my uneaten food and sighed, picking up a fry and twirling it around in my pale fingers. This whole situation would take some major thinking, I might actually fry a few brain cells in the process (if that were actually possible), but…Alice seemed certain that everything would turn out okay. Even if I wasn't.

Alice had an ace up her sleeve. I didn't. So I guessed that's why I was so…worried about the current issue. The issue that seemed would reveal itself to Jasper sooner or later, whether I liked it or not. I knew he would ask me about that fateful day sooner or later - Edward had seen the question bouncing around in his thoughts, apparently - and I was a terrible liar. The truth would end up coming out…

I groaned as I rose from my seat, not really wanting to be in the lunchroom any longer. If anything, I wanted to curl up in my room with a good book and forget the world. Forget this day.

Forget _him_.

The bell for sixth period rang shortly after I rose from my seat. I could feel Alice and Edward behind me, no doubt with Rose and Emmett on their heels as well. I continued my walk to the trash can where I disposed of the food I hadn't eaten.

Alice put her dainty hand on my shoulder and gave me an unfathomable look with her topaz eyes, "It's all going to turn out okay, Bells. Don't you worry your pretty little head over it."

I scoffed, "Yeah…thanks for that."

I waited up so I could keep in step with Alice and Edward. We all had study hall for sixth hour, which wasn't my favorite class, to say the least. I was prepared to be bored out of my mind, which I was. For the next hour, I had to pretend to "study" my history book. I read the pages that were assigned to us at least four times. I was an avid reader in my human life, but my transformation only accelerated the rate at which I could read.

Groaning slightly, I was out of my seat two seconds after the bell rang. I walked to the door, books cradled against my chest, making a mental note to bring at least some form of novel worth reading to school tomorrow.

Edward approached me, his crooked smile in full swing, "Bella."

I stopped, quirking a brow, "Yes?"

"P.E. is next."

If it were possible, I would've paled.

"No."

Edward nodded in a sickly funny way. That sadist - he enjoyed watching me suffer. I ran a hand through my thick hair and groaned even louder. _You've got to be kidding me._

We all walked to the gym together, in a group that made people steer clear from us. I noticed that Matt…um, _Mike_, giving us a pitiable look. Poor Rosalie, getting hit on by everyone. But I knew she secretly enjoyed it. She also secretly enjoyed scaring people half to death by using Emmett as a weapon. I live in a family of sadists.

I walked to the gym, gracefully, strangely enough. I guess no matter how many decades I lived in this body, the innate gracefulness was still shocking to me. Most likely because I was a downright clumsy individual before…_this_.

Even though I probably would be one of the best on any sport I played, due to the superhuman speed, strength, grace…I couldn't play. None of us could play any type of sport, for various reasons. We would hurt people, or stand out because of our "talents." I sighed and entered the gym, only to be met with a strangely pleasing sight.

Jasper Whitlock, running shirtless from the out-of-bounds like on one end to the other end of the basketball court. He was panting, sweaty, and out of breath. I tried not to stare - really I did - but I couldn't help it. I could see his muscles strain and bunch together as he shot forward, easily the fastest out of all the human runners beside him. Coach Clapp, I believe that was his name, was standing by the sidelines, yelling so loud that his face looked as red as if he had been running for hours himself.

I hadn't noticed I stopped in my tracks, staring blankly out at the basketball court where the group of boys continued running. In one of the rounds, I saw Jasper turn to some other boy, panting, and say, "'Oh, Jazz, we don't have to run,' _Liar_!" I could practically see the air quotes he used as he said that. The boy running beside him laughed and ruffled his sweaty mop on the way back.

Coach Clapp blew his whistle, making the boys come to a stop as soon as he saw his seventh hour P.E. class file in the gym, "Alright, I think the rain has stopped, so we can go do sprints outside now. You're lucky I took it easy on you since it's the first day. C'mon guys, let's go!"

The group of guys started to walk, but the coach blew his whistle, shouted at them to at least _jog_, and so they complied, racing out the door, beside which I stood. I watched the group of sweaty, panting boys, blood racing frantically through their veins, with curious eyes. Jasper was last, followed by the boy he was talking to earlier.

He took notice of me right away, glancing up and meeting my gaze with his own kind, happy one. Wide eyed and innocent. That's how I saw him. He raised his hand and gave me a faint wave, a casual one that would probably be used on someone he was good friends with.

Jasper grinned at me, showcasing his flawless pearly whites. Though I knew it was impossible, I thought I felt my heart go berserk in my cold chest.

I raised my hand and waved back, a soft smile on my full lips. His childish grin widened at this and he continued his jog out onto the football field.

As I stared after the blonde boy that had captured my attention, Coach Clapp came up, stating that we would not have to do much today, since almost no one brought gym clothes to change in to. Tomorrow, however, we would have to run around the football field while he practiced with his boys to get ready for the first game of the season.

Suddenly, I was looking forward to P.E.

And I didn't want to admit why.

* * *

_**End Chapter Three. **_

_Longest chapter yet, though it probably doesn't look like it. I hope you enjoyed this! Your reviews are so kind and supportive…it just makes this fic a joy to write. Lol. I really appreciate every single one of your reviews. I get a big smile on my face every time I open my email and see a review/story/favorite/author alert. It means a lot and I'm really glad y'all are into this story._

_Please R&R and THANKS again!_


	5. Electric

_**Disclaimer:** __Nope, Twilight isn't mine._

_Thanks so much for your reviews! Again, they mean the world and I can't say thank you enough, so thank you!_

_Here's chapter four, fellow JasperBella addicts!_

* * *

**Long Road to Ruin  
****Chapter Four: Electric**

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**Jasper.**

"Jazz, welcome home!"

My mom, ever the enthusiast, turned her head towards me as I walked into the kitchen. Mom, her honey blonde hair falling carelessly in her face and tumbling out of a bun at the nape of her neck, smiled as she toiled over making some kind of concoction in a bowl. Hopefully this would be edible. Hell, anything was better than the stuff that I'd tried to cook up.

I dropped by backpack on the nearest chair and walked over, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Hey, Mom."

"Well, you're in a good mood today." She giggled slightly, turning around and ruffling my hair with a flour-caked hand.

I blinked as I brushed her hand away, as well as any white powder that lingered on my scalp, "I…guess so." I said, as if I had just had an epiphany. Strange, I was feeling lighter…not stressed as I used to be after school.

Idly, I wondered if Bella had anything to do with this…

I couldn't stay on my thoughts for long, for my mother looked at me, waving a hand in front of my face as if I had drifted into a trance. "Earth to Jazzy, Jazz…_Jasper Whitlock_!"

I was started out of my thoughts and my chocolate eyes focused on my mothers lighter blue ones, "Oh, yeah, sorry, Ma."

"I was beginning to wonder there, sweetie." She said, with all the motherly love one could handle. "You look all sweaty. Did Coach Clapp make you run today?"

I looked at her with a raised brow. "Yeah…" I said, unsurely, wondering what she was trying to get at, "Tyler said we wouldn't have to but…you know Coach…"

Mom looked at me, sighing, "Go get a shower before you eat, Jasper."

I nodded, "Of course. Because, knowing you, you would end up doing something wrong on this one and then you'd have to start over. Well, a shower would be a good way to waste time."

She chuckled and then took my chin between her thumb and fingers, leaving a trail of white flour on each side of my face as she said, "Just be lucky I'm not letting you cook. Then we'd have to buy a whole new house."

"Touché, Mother." I said sardonically.

As I walked away from her and up the stairs, "We're having chicken and dumplings, by the way!"

"If you manage to finish them!" I called back, laughing. But, despite my jabs at my mothers cooking, she could make practically anything.

I heard my mother's laughter even as I shut my bedroom door.

My room was just as I left it. Messy and unkempt. No doubt a teenage boy's room. On my walls were various posters of sports stars - Kobe Bryant, Reggie Bush, Michael Jordan - as well as bands such as Green Day, My Chemical Romance, and the Foo Fighters. Clothes were slung about the place, some laying on the foot of my bed, others thrown haphazardly on the headboard. My drawers were hanging open and I didn't even want to look in my closet, for I knew nothing good would come of that. I had an all-too graphic look at said closet this morning. It _was not _a good idea to look in there.

My bed was in the center of the far wall, so it was practically the first thing to see when someone entered my room. Next to the bed was a night stand on either side. One had a lamp and alarm clock, the other had a stack of books piled on it. The closet was to the right of the bed, on the other wall. There was a large window on the left side of the room and a small daybed beside it, where I could look out the window and do homework and such.

I smiled. Yeah, I was messy. But I was a guy so that was to be expected.

I rummaged through a drawer, getting out a clean pair of boxers and a shirt, as well as a pair of baggy black sweats, then walked across the hall to the bathroom adjacent to my room. Stretching my arms above my head, I yawned. Surprisingly, I was tired, though I felt refreshed. And I didn't want to admit why I did.

Though I knew something had to do with Bella Cullen.

I had to admit, as I stripped down and jumped into the scalding shower, that knowing my savior was actually real and not a figment of my imagination, was reassuring. At least I knew I wasn't going crazy. But still, in my heart, I knew that she was real even before I met her for the first time in almost a decade. Nothing that beautiful could be a product of a child's psyche. Of that I was positive.

The hot water was a welcome comfort, though I was still recovering from the running our coach made us endure today. I sighed and threw my head back, letting the hot water wash over my body. It stung as it came into contact with my hand - the same one I had used to "playfully" punch Emmett Cullen.

_I swear the guy is made of rocks. _I thought to myself as I flexed it. It wasn't broken. Just a good bone bruise. I've had plenty of those in my sports life.

I guess I had taken longer in there than my mother expected, because in what seemed like only two minutes, she came and knocked on the bathroom door, "Hey, try to save some water for the fishes. Supper's done, sweetie."

I blinked through the spray of the shower and then groaned as I bent over to turn off the nozzle. I grabbed the towel from the rack and dried myself off, then got dressed, leaving my hair to dry on its own as I usually did.

I walked out into the hall to see that my mom had already gone back downstairs to the kitchen. I walked casually, my bare feet padding along the hardwood floor. When I arrived downstairs, I saw my mom sitting down, a plate full of food in front of her. There was an empty plate in my usual seat.

Mom watched me curiously as I fixed my plate. Her eyes watched me as if I had grown a third head or something to that extremity. I sat down and she watched me even then, most likely noticing something I had yet to see. Did I forget to put on my shirt? No. Did I forget to rinse out my hair? No, yet again. But she stared at my face in wonder.

"You really do seem happier today, Jazz." She finally said after we said grace.

"Yeah," I said, wondering what she was trying to get at, "I guess so."

"Meet anyone new?"

"Um…" My mind immediately flashed to Bella and her perfect family. Yeah, they were new alright. "Yes, ma'am, I did."

"Girls?"

Oh. Great. Could she tell that I've met a girl? Well, not in the technical sense of the word. I was friends with several girls. But _Bella _wasn't just a girl. I knew that much. I watched her warily, trying to predict what her reaction would be if I said yes.

Apparently, she already knew I had met a girl before I even said I had. Because as soon as I confirmed her suspicions, she scoffed as she swallowed a dumpling and said, "Figured so."

"Why's that?"

"You've got…_that look_."

I blinked.

"The look of a boy who's seen the most beautiful girl in the world and he can't think of anything else but her." Mom elaborated, grandly twirling her fork in the air, "Ah, Jasper, I knew this day would come, but I'm still not prepared for it."

Again, I blinked.

She shook her head, "Anyway, what's her name, hon?"

I laughed, "I just met her today, Ma." _Okay, that's a lie._

"So? Doesn't mean you can't know her name."

"Bella. Bella Cullen."

Realization lit up my mother's eyes, "Oh! Dr. Cullen's daughter." She smiled, as if knowing how attractive the Cullens were. "Yes, he's…a doctor. And married. His wife can't have children, so they adopted all of the kids. I give them two thumbs up for that." She reached over and ruffled my hair, "I can't deal with one, let alone _five_!"

Mom breathed in deeply. "I also hear that…"

"They are all together?" I ventured. Mom nodded in reply. "Jess told me that today. Edward's with Alice and Rosalie's with Emmett. Bella's the only single one."

"So, you'd go for the single one, naturally."

"No…it's not just that." I said quietly, afraid to say too much, "She's…interesting."

Interesting was putting it mildly. Bella was downright _fascinating_. Even now I couldn't get her out of my head. Her golden eyes, pale skin, thick brown hair. The way she seemed shy, though she had every right to be an extrovert. She was kind to me, though, I'll admit, it seemed like a product of Alice's prodding.

"Interesting, eh?" Mom looked sympathetically at me, once again seeing something I hadn't meant to give away in my eyes, "That's nice."

Did she really think it was nice? Or did she not know what else to say? I wasn't sure. And I wasn't sure I wanted to know.

Mom had finished her food and looked at me expectantly, "Sweetie…"

"Yes."

She looked as if she were about to say something, but thought the better of it, leaving me with a look of confusion, but then I recognized the look in her eyes. It was the look of a mother scared her little boy was going to be taken away from her. I smiled gently, and said, reassuringly, "Don't worry, Ma. You're always my number one gal."

Mom laughed and put her fork down on her plate, rising from her chair and walking over to the sink. She put her plate down in the basin and rinsed it off with water before putting it in the dishwasher, which was full of dirty dishes. I followed suit.

"Do you have any homework?"

"Just have to read…why?"

"Well," Mom looked coyly at me, as if she didn't want to ask me what she was about to, but she was going to anyway because she had to, "would you mind going down to the drug store? I forgot to get some medicine when I left work today…"

I blinked, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, Jazz," Mom reassured me, "I just have had this monster headache all day. I already called the workers there, so they should have it all ready when you get there."

I nodded in response, "Yeah," I said, smiling slightly, my mouth in this side-smirk type device I had developed over the years, "I'll go get it. They're still open right?"

Mom nodded at me, "Yes, sir," She said playfully, "It's almost five thirty right now. They close at seven. You've got plenty of time."

"Alright," I said, grabbing my keys off the key hook beside the cabinet and slipping on my old, worn tennis shoes. "Be back in a few!" I called from the doorframe.

"Love you!"

"Back at cha!" I laughed, as did Mom, as I shut the door and walked to my car.

Unlocking the door, I was briefly met with the sudden feeling that I was being watched. I looked around, my eyes darting from place to place, but I saw nothing. My eyebrows knitted together in confusion, and I felt the rising feel of paranoia around me. The feeling of being watched was unmistakable…but there was no one around. Not even anyone on the street. So how…

I shook me head. _Really, now? If I hadn't met Bella today, and found out she was real, I'd be asking them to commit me to an institution now. No one's watching you, Whitlock. Jeez._

I slid into the driver's seat and cranked the car, my hands immediately going to the radio and turning up the station. Sighing, I turned on the heat slightly. Even for August, the air was chilly outside. It was most likely due to the constant overhang of clouds in the sky, and the slight drizzle of rain that had picked up when I stepped outside.

I shivered slightly as the heat filled the car. I still couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched, but I put it in the back of my mind, so I didn't have to face it. I really didn't want to think about what could be out there - my imagination sometimes went wild without me meaning it to - and there were so many things I could come up with that would probably scare me. Or make me laugh. One of the two.

Yeah, and I'm not crazy.

Right.

I moved out of the driveway and into the street. The streets were clear today, and for that I was glad. Though, I could hardly remember a time when the road was filled with traffic. This was _Forks_, after all. I focused on the road, not really seeing it, but still paying attention. It was when I almost passed the pharmacy that I exclaimed, cursed, and stopped the car abruptly in front of the quaint little place.

"That was close." I said, looking in my rear view mirror. Good thing no one was behind me. That wouldn't have been good. It had taken about fifteen minutes to get to the drug store, but it felt like much more.

I parked and got out of the car, not even bothering to lock the door. Like anyone would steal this car in a town such as Forks.

As I walked onto the small sidewalk that lead to the drug store, I thought I glimpsed a head of thick brown hair inside, but I figured it was a trick of my imagination. Hoping too much, I suppose, but then, when I opened the door, the bell above it making a clear _ding! _as I walked in, I saw that it wasn't a hallucination.

"Bella." I said in confirmation as well as shock. The Southern twang of my voice played on her name quite well, I noticed with a grin.

As if she heard me, or, well, heard the bell, she turned around and I saw her perfect face, and realized that it was her, though I had known that even before she had turned around. Her golden eyes looked at me with a mixture of curiosity and…knowing? No, couldn't be that…could it?

"Well, if it isn't Jazzy Whitlock!" One of the pharmacists said, grinning at me with white teeth. Her red hair was pulled back in a low tail that she swooped forward and had it lay on her right shoulder. I immediately recognized her as one of my mom's friends, Mrs. Hilburn. "Long time no see."

"Ain't that the truth." I greeted, walking forward. And, as if I hadn't at all been affected by Bella's presence at all, I greeted, "Hey, Bella."

She looked at me, her eyes holding a depth that I had never seen before in any person, and smiled. The very gravity of it took my breath away, "Nice to see you, Jasper."

Mrs. Hilburn grasped a bag from another woman, one I had never seen before, and said, "Here you go, Bella, sweetie."

"Thanks." Bella smiled back with that same intensity, polite and serene, though it was every bit as breathtaking as the one she just gave me.

Mrs. Hilburn just stared back, a smile forming on her face and her eyes wondering where this girl could have come from. "Now, you come back if you need anything."

"Oh, I will." Bella grinned, now showing her teeth, pearly and white, before she turned to me and said, in her tinkling voice, "See you later."

"Yeah…" Wow. I really needed to work on my social skills around her. I could hardly get any words out when she turned the force of her smile, of her eyes, of her voice on me. A feeling, much like an electric current, jolted through me as if just by the force of her presence next to me.

With that, more graceful than any dancer I had ever seen, Bella walked to the door, opened it, and disappeared.

Shaking my head, as if to clear it from any residual confusion at her sudden appearance, I looked at Mrs. Hilburn and said, "My mom said she had something here…something she forgot to get…"

"Oh, yes," She said before reaching to get a bag. I could hear the bottle of pills shake and jumble inside the paper, "Here you go. On the house, Jazzy."

"I would hope so." I joked, "I'm completely broke."

She laughed and grinned at me, "Now you go get that to your mom."

"Will do."

"Come back whenever you need anything!"

I nodded in her direction with my hand on the door, "Of course!"

With that, I pushed the door open and went out into the street. I hated to admit that I was in a rush to maybe catch up with Bella. I looked around, my eyes frantic, and didn't see a trace of her. Come to think of it, my car was the only one in the parking lot. The workers parked out back, while customers parked out front, and my car was the only one there, before I went in the store and after I came out.

What was going on? Did she walk? And if she did walk…she would at least be in sight right now. There wasn't even a five minute span between the time she left and the time I came outside.

Suddenly, the time in the forest came to mind. Her cold lips on my heated skin, then she was gone, in a flutter of chilled wind and twirling leaves.

My heart was beating faster and faster with every passing second.

What exactly _was _Bella Cullen?

* * *

**Bella.**

I knew I shouldn't be here.

I knew I shouldn't be doing what I was doing. It was too risky for me, for my family. It could cause everything to spiral out of control like some kind of sick, twisted game that would only end up hurting Jasper in the end.

But I couldn't resist.

I had perched myself in a tree, watching him as he got into his car, and then ran ahead of him when I heard where he was going. My stealth protected me from being seen. Well, that and the fact that I had taken "stalking" lessons from Edward. His little stint with Alice when she was human was both romantic and slightly…over-possessive.

Nonetheless, I had followed him to the drug store, pretended to need allergy medicine, and then received it just as Jasper entered the store. Strange as it sounds, I wanted to see him. I wanted to see him so much that I was resorted to following him around, as if I were his silent protector. I try not to think of it as stalking, but my family, or rather Alice, for she is the only one who knows where I am at this moment, thinks that I have turned into Edward version 2.0.

After I walked out of the door, I lingered, listened to what he was saying, and then when I heard his footsteps approach, I ran.

Running as a vampire is exhilarating, faster than any mode of transportation, which is why I enjoyed it more than riding in the fast cars like my family.

Yet, despite my utter disgust at myself - at how much I wanted to see him - here I was.

Standing in Jasper's room.

Watching him sleep.

He left his window open when he went to bed, so it was quite easy for me to sneak into his room. It was much like the way Edward and Alice's relationship started, and the irony was not escaped from me, since I had been one of the main ones to tease Edward about his stalker ways when it came to Alice.

I felt rather strange as I watched him sleep. It was as if I was intruding on a very intimate moment, one that no one should see unless they were his mother, or his lover. And I was neither, though, in the girlish part of my mind, I noted that I wouldn't mind if I were the latter of the two.

I shook my head. It was silly to even consider such things. If I had my way, I would protect him from this world. I would make it so he wouldn't have to know about the world of vampires, the world that would harm - maybe even kill - him. But…in a way, I wanted to be selfish. And, if Alice's vision was any indication, I was going to be selfish and let him into our world.

Damn Alice and her visions.

I ran a hand through my hair, all the while holding my breath as to not inhale the sweet scent of his blood. I had to control myself, which I was quite good at ever since being introduced to this life. But even now, I had to resist the urge to walk over to Jasper's sleeping form, put my face against his neck, and deeply inhale. But I knew nothing good could come from that, so I restrained myself.

He turned, groaning slightly as he did so. I found the sound to be oddly appealing, and a smile escaped my lips.

Suddenly, he shot up from his bed, in such a fast movement I didn't have time to run out the window. If it were still beating, I would imagine my heart would stop, but the feeling of such remained the same, and I stood still as his eyes widened as he focused, seeing me. He then bent his head and started rubbing his eyes furiously, as if he thought he was hallucinating.

I took that opportunity to run. I jumped out the window in a blink of an eye and landed without a sound on the grass below. Without pausing, I sprinted to my house.

All the while, I couldn't shake the thrill I felt when he looked at me.

* * *

_**End Chapter Four.**_

_Well, that took longer than the others, but hopefully it was worth the wait. Lol. I hope you liked this chapter. It's just basically showing the growing interest and attraction between Bella and Jasper. Edward and Alice's back-story will be explained later, so no worries about that. As well as Bella's. Everyone else's is pretty much the same. The ways all of the Cullens changed are the same, except for Alice and Bella. Again, those will be explained later._

_And, it's late, but so is my update - CONGRATS to my Lakers for winning the championship! Y'all so deserved it! (jumps around) Okay, there was my dorky moment. Excuse me, please. Lol. _

_So, I hope you decide to review with your opinions! Thanks for reading! I appreciate it._


	6. Nightmares, Dreamscapes

_**Disclaimer:** I don't own Twilight._

_Thanks for your kind reviews! I appreciate all of them and I am so glad everyone is enjoying the story so far! Thanks! I really don't know what else to say so…here's the next chapter. Enjoy!_

**

* * *

**

**Long Road to Ruin  
****Chapter Five: Nightmares, Dreamscapes**

* * *

**Jasper.**

I dreamed.

I was running. Running so fast I thought my feet would give out from under me. I didn't know what exactly I was running from, or running to, exactly. I was confused, and disoriented. The forest from my youth stretched out in front of me like a large, green maze and I didn't know which way to go. My hands reached out in front of me like I was searching for something in the dark. I was sure I looked quite ridiculous - if it wasn't a dream and I was really doing that.

I was shouting out for something. Someone. I didn't understand what was going on, my mind was muddled and I was confused as to where I was. Suddenly, I felt a stinging sensation in my neck. I then felt a sticky, warm substance dribbling down my throat and staining the collar of my shirt.

Reaching up my hand, I felt my neck. I was still running, and in my fervor to get away, I hastily looked down at my hand.

It was coated with blood.

I stifled a scream and continued to run. I wasn't aware of what I was running from, but my survival instinct instilled it in me to run as fast as I could, to get as far away as I could from whatever it was…

I was stopped in my tracks.

Standing in front of me, sparkling like a disco ball, was Bella.

My eyes widened as I took in her features. She was beautiful, as always. Her mahogany hair whipped in the wind, her eyes were sparking with intelligence. The white dress she wore almost matched the paleness of her skin.

She would've looked like an angel if the entire front of her dress wasn't covered in blood. The crimson fluid dripped from her lips, flowing down her throat and her chest in a massive wave of live-giving liquid.

My eyes widened.

Bella was on me so fast I didn't even have time to scream…

I woke from my sleep, feeling jolted and shaky. Terrified. My heart beat frantically in my chest. I lay on my side, noticing that my hands were clenched tightly into the sheets. I gulped, then the uncanny feeling of being watched settled over me once again.

I sat up abruptly.

And was met with the gaze of the woman I was dreaming about.

_What the hell? _I thought as my heart jumped into my throat. Bella looked traumatized and nervous, standing as still as a stone statue. I put my head in my hands and rubbed the heels of my hands into my eyes, as if that would change anything. It had to be a hallucination. _It had to be. _Bella couldn't be in my room. How would she get there? After realizing that I had tried to blind myself long enough, I looked up and saw nothing.

I got out of my bed, cautiously searching for her, as if she were really there. I even looked underneath the bed. Finally, I checked the window I usually left open. Again, no one anywhere.

Maybe I dismissed the "insanity" factor too early.

Sighing, I sank back down onto my bed, feeling the soft mattress give way underneath my weight. As I ran a hand through my hair, I glanced out the door, my eyes finally used to the darkness around me. It could be no earlier than four in the morning, by my judge of the growing lightness outside the window. Looking at the clock beside my bed, I was correct. 4:15 was the time, in blinding red letters on the digital clock.

I groaned and rolled back into the bed, covering myself with as much blankets as I could muster, and I curled into a ball on my side, clenching my eyes shut as tight as possible. I yawned and snuggled into the pillow that smelled strongly of my cologne and the lingering scents of detergent.

She couldn't have been in my room. Could she? How could she get into my room? The only possible entryway was my open window and still, my room was on the second floor of my house.

No, no. She couldn't have. I was just hallucinating things. It was…_feasible. _I had just had a dream about her anyway…maybe it was just an occurrence due to that…

_The dream. _I was reminded once again. It all came back to me in startling clarity. Bella staring at me, blood flowing down the front of her pristine white dress, a wild look in her eyes. It made me shudder despite the fact that I was curled up in the blankets like they were a cocoon.

I didn't want to dwell on the details of that dream. They weren't pleasant, but my mind kept swimming, alternating Bella's sweet face, the face that I had memorized in the span of a day, with that of the monstrous…_predatory _look she was giving me in the dream. And the blood…

I was confused, and frankly, I didn't want to think about it anymore. Grunting once more, I threw the covers from my form and reached clumsily over to one of the nightstands, feeling around for a bit before I found what I was looking for. Ah, the wonders of the iPod.

I shoved the earphones into my ears and scrolled through the songs, before choosing some soft, indie rock that I had come to love. The mellow sounds reverberated through my head and I sighed, closing my eyes and feeling sleep overcome me, despite the night's events.

* * *

I awoke later that morning feeling somewhat drained. The iPod was still blaring softly in my ears, now it had moved from indie rock to Dave Grohl blaring out the lyrics to "The Pretender" in my ears. _Ah, what a great sound to wake up to. _I mused somewhat sardonically as I left the bed, not bothering to take the musical device from my lobes.

I dug through a pile of clothing in a large basket. The ones that I knew were clean and passable, according to Mom, who had came in early last night, before the whole "hallucinating" situation happened. She had plopped the clean clothes down in my room, not even bothering to fold them, and said, "Here, just dig something out. Doesn't do any good to fold them."

I quirked my eyebrows as I looked through the clothes. Mom was right. Not that I cared about folding clothes. Wrinkles were the least of my problems. I could care less.

Grabbing a pair of black cargo shorts and a loose gray button-up, I glanced at the clock. My eyes widened when I realized that it was only five forty-five in the morning. The aggressive song in my ears faded away and I removed my headphones after turning the player off.

"Well, that was unexpected." I muttered to myself as I tossed the music player onto my messy bed.

I hardly ever woke up this early. But I wasn't too surprised. It had been a strange night last night, what with me "seeing Bella in my room" and all. Again, I idly wondered if I was insane.

Shaking my head, I decided to start the day with a hot shower, since I had more than enough time. Maybe the scalding water would help clear my mind and make me realize that I was being ridiculous with the whole Bella issue.

Yawning, I walked into the bathroom shaky with sleep. I stripped and entered the shower, washing myself while I thought of what had happened the night before. It still made no sense at all. The creepy dream - as I thought of it, I shuddered despite the hot water raining down on my body - and then seeing Bella in my room…it would be so easy to dismiss seeing her as a product of my imagination, but somehow I felt that wasn't going to satisfy me. Not until I found out the truth about her.

I ran the shampoo through my hair, groaning as my fingers started scrubbing my scalp. It seemed lately that my mind was doing more work than it ever had on the course to getting to high school. I laughed slightly at the thought. Leave it to a girl to make me think this much.

I finished showering and got out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around my waist. I heard my mom fiddling around downstairs. The light sizzle of bacon reached my ears, as well as the smell of eggs. A grin spread across my features immediately. Good thing I woke up early; I would be able to eat without rushing for once.

I dried off thoroughly and put on my school clothes before racing to the staircase and sliding down the banister to the first floor, something I enjoyed doing since I was a kid. Mom said once that one day I would end up toppling the thing over. I had only laughed at her.

Even now, Mom shouted, "Don't do that, hon!"

I chuckled and walked lazily into the kitchen with a grin on my face.

"You're up early, sweetheart," She doted, reaching out and ruffling my hair in an eternal sign of affection, "What's the occasion?"

I shrugged and playfully said, "You know I gotta see my beloved mother before I head to school."

She raised an eyebrow, "What do you want?"

"Why, how could you ever think that I wanted something?"

Mom outright laughed, "It's obvious."

I reached out, lightning fast and grabbed the nearest plate, which had two fried eggs and four strips of bacon, along with cheesy grits on the plate, "Dibs on the first plate! Thanks, Ma!"

"That was for you anyway, Jazz!" Mom said exasperatedly as I ran into the living room to turn on the television.

I plopped some grits into my mouth as I looked at the clock, seeing that it was about six-ten in the morning. I had plenty of time - at least an hour - to kill before I had to get in my car and head to school.

As I chewed, I saw that the television was on the news. Usually, I would skip past it, but there was something that caught my eye.

A woman, looking very much the professional in her tailored gray pantsuit with her blonde hair in a low ponytail, was standing in front of a dumpster that had just been put out by several firemen with handheld extinguishers. I recognized it as being the dumpster behind the pharmacy where my mom worked. Blinking, I turned up the volume as I heard my mom enter the room, munching on a piece of bacon and plopping down on the couch beside me.

Her eyes widened in shock, "Hey…that's at my work." She said in astonishment.

The woman started talking in loud, urgent tones.

"I'm Monica Jones with the six o'clock news. Here, I'm standing in front of Forks General Pharmacy, where at one this morning, the fire department got a call, saying this very dumpster had suddenly caught fire. It had been set off with gasoline, and has taken the firefighters a long time to put out, as you can see." She paused, and I looked at my mother, whose eyes were wide with shock.

"A body was found in the dumpster," She said gravely, and I felt my heart skip several beats before picking up again, "It was that of a woman, experts have confirmed. Dental records reveal the woman to be forty year old pharmacist, Carrie Hilburn - "

My mother's loud cry interrupted whatever else the reporter had to say, "Oh, God…" She said, and I saw her plate fall from her hands and onto the wooden floor, shattering it, "Carrie…" She burst into tears on the spot.

I felt an overwhelming sense of sadness as well. I had just seen Mrs. Hilburn yesterday, when I went to the pharmacy and had seen Bella. I hadn't known her all that well, but I knew her well enough to feel incredibly sad for the loss. I leaned over and embraced my mother, comforting her with kind words, when I really felt drained now, after all that has happened.

Her sobs drowned out everything except my thoughts.

_Who could've done this? How is this…how did it happen? Why?_

I felt tears coming and pushed them away, stubborn even in mourning.

* * *

**Bella.**

He was acting different today.

I had a feeling why, but I didn't know what to say to him. Didn't know how to comfort him, to tell him it would be alright, but I felt the need to talk to him, to reassure him somehow, even though I knew perfectly well what had done this. It was textbook for any vampire looking to cover up their "meal." Rather, any non-vegetarian vampire.

Jasper was sitting on the picnic tables that were situated outside of the lunchroom, not eating. I could see that he hadn't eaten anything, plus he looked exhausted. Seeing me in his room must not have helped things.

I stood at the doorway, contemplating whether I should go over to him or not, when I felt a small hand on my shoulder. Looking down, I saw Alice glancing up at me with kind, yet excited eyes, "Just do it, Bella."

I scoffed, "I guess it is really that easy."

Alice nodded, "Just walk up and talk to him. No problemo."

"He…knew that woman. The one who was killed this morning. She worked with his mother at the pharmacy."

"Oh, no," Alice said with sympathy, "Well, then, you really need to go talk to him!"

I nodded infinitesimally and gulped before I walked forward to talk to the boy I hadn't been able to get out of my mind for the longest time.

He was beside himself, hadn't talked hardly all day. The girl who was always all over him had left him alone, as did the boy who asked out Rose yesterday. _Some friends. _I scoffed on the inside as I approached him silently.

Jasper didn't even seem to notice as I sat down in front of him at the table. If it was due to my supernatural grace or his unfocused gaze, I couldn't be sure.

After a few seconds, I spoke, "Jasper…" I said softly. When I got no answer, I said his name again, just a bit louder than before, "Jasper."

He blinked several times before his head shot up, and his eyes connected with mine. I noticed that they were the loveliest shade of chocolate brown. Absolutely gorgeous, even considering the red streaks around the irises. He cracked a smile - a forced one, I could tell, "Hello, Bella. Haven't talked to you today."

"You haven't really talked to anyone today," I pointed out, and his smile became more solemn.

"I kind of thought I had a reason to…be quiet today." A sardonically sad smile adorned his handsome features.

I reached across the table and put my hands on his, feeling the warmth radiating from them, as well as the steady flow of blood pulsing slowly, sluggishly through his veins. My throat burned with the thought, but I immediately put it away in the back of my mind. No time for thinking about _that _of all things.

I relished the warm feel of his soft hands beneath my own, and I saw him look, shocked, at my contact. He was either shocked that I'd shown interest, or shocked at the deathly coldness of my skin. I saw the purpling of a bruise beginning to form on the hand where he had punched Emmett yesterday and immediately felt guilty.

"You do." I said, looking up at him. His eyes were downcast now, looking at the table. I continued on, "I know it doesn't seem fair, but…"

"…it'll be okay?" Jasper said, looking up at me, and I was surprised at the electric pull those soft, brown eyes had on me. He smiled bitterly, "Yeah, that's what everyone says. I just don't know…I mean, I barely knew her. But she was so nice…I don't know why anyone would want to…" His eyes cut away from mine, and he looked away, as if embarrassed.

Of course, I knew who would want to kill someone like that kind woman I had met briefly at the pharmacy just yesterday. A vampire. Which was strange, because, for all I knew, me and my family were the only vampires in Forks. It means that there were more of us here. And they weren't vegetarians.

I couldn't tell him that, though.

"I understand," I said, giving him a smile, "We've all lost someone in our lifetime. We just have to know that they are in a better place now."

He looked up at me and grinned, his eyes slightly watery. It surprised me. I wasn't used to seeing people cry, especially not guys, and especially not since I became a vampire (vampires weren't capable of actually crying, after all). So it was a surprise to see his chocolate orbs, tears swimming around in them, begging to be released. He reached up and hastily wiped away the tears from his eyes. "Sorry. Wow, crying in front of a hot girl. Talk about embarrassing."

If I were capable of doing it like I was in my human life, I would have blushed as red as a cherry. I laughed nervously and said, "This hot girl doesn't mind."

He blinked, "Oh, crap. I really said that out loud, huh?"

That caused a genuine laugh to escape my lips. I reached out and ran a hand through his hair, messing it up even more than it usually was. I saw him shiver at my touch, and I immediately retracted my hand from his scalp. Figuring that this was the time to leave, I rose from my seat and said, "I guess it's time to take my leave, then."

"Why? Because I accidentally called you hot?"

"Yeah," I said sarcastically, "That's exactly why."

He laughed and I immediately felt better just by hearing the sound. I could also hear his heart pumping violently through his body in a nervous fit.

I then turned and walked away, feeling a giddy wave of emotion come across me just because I had helped him, even if it was just the tiniest bit.

I helped him, and I couldn't have been happier.

* * *

**Jasper.**

The cold on my hands still hadn't left even after she got up from the table. Neither did the tingling that was washing all over me, from my fingertips to the crown of my head to my toes, every single part of me seemed to be electrically charged just by her touching me in the most innocent of ways.

My heart was thumping in my chest as if it were a brick. I thought it was going to pop out of my chest at any given moment, but it never did. Shows how much I know.

Bella had helped. More than anyone else had, that's for sure. She knew just what to say, how to say it, and the fact that I was utterly beside myself with suppressed happiness when I realized she came up to me also helped me feel better. I started rubbing my hands together, hoping to create some kind of friction to help them warm a bit. It took a while, but they were finally the right temperature. Still, I couldn't shake the electric buzz that was surging through me.

I stretched out, looking up at the cloudy day. No sun, yet again. Seemed appropriate as it was a _terrible _day. I was sure Mom would still be sad when I got home (they had closed the pharmacy for a couple of days), and frankly, I wasn't looking forward to it. I was probably going to lock myself in my room as soon as I got home today.

I idly wondered who would want to do such a thing to Mrs. Hilburn. It seemed so…_brutal_. No one knows exactly how she died yet, they were waiting on the autopsy, last I heard. Hopefully she wasn't alive when the gasoline was poured on her and she was…

I shuddered, feeling an undeniable chill coming over me. Looking around, I expected to find someone watching me. I still had that strange feeling of being watched coming over me, just like I had the time I was leaving my house to go to the pharmacy yesterday. But this…this feeling of being watched, unlike the last time, felt sinister. I didn't know how that could be possible, but that was how it felt to me.

"Hey, Jazz." A subdued voice came from beside me. I didn't realize how wound up I was until I jumped at the sound of it.

Tyler stood with his hands in his pockets, looking out across the place with a somber look. "Easy, don't jump out of your skin." He chuckled without mirth.

"You okay, Tyler?"

"Yeah…" He replied, running a hand through his hair, "I'm good."

"You don't seem it…"

"I dunno, man," Tyler said, finally looking down at me, "It's weird. That thing on the news…Mrs. Hilburn…it was so weird. I mean, I just saw her a few days ago. She was so nice…"

"Sit down, Ty." I said, motioning to the bench. "It'll be okay."

"Yeah," Tyler plopped down on the bench across from me and coughed lightly, "It's just weird, you know. Stuff like that doesn't happen in Forks."

It took me a while to think about that, but he was right. Things like that didn't happen in Forks. Murder? Foul play? Suicide? Forks was such a small, happy - dreary weather aside - that nothing like that ever happened. Mrs. Hilburn's death had come as a shock to all of us, even Tyler, who was rarely shaken up by anything.

"Who would do something like that?" I said to no one in particular, clenching my fists so tightly that my knuckles turned white with the effort.

Tyler shrugged, then Lauren came up to us, followed by Jessica and Angela. Lauren's blue eyes were streaked red - hm, so she did have a heart. Angela's doe-like brown eyes were also red, as were Jessica's. As odd as it was, Jessica was quiet, as if she were at a loss for words.

They all sat around me and we shared a silence.

I just sat there on the bench, surrounded by my friends, looking out at the landscape in front of me, wondering what could have made someone so angry that they wanted to take someone's life - especially someone as kind as Mrs. Hilburn.

I also thought about Bella.

I thought about her kind words, her touch…everything about her.

I also thought that if she were here right now, I'd feel a whole lot better.

* * *

_**End Chapter Five.**_

_Alright, here's chapter five! I hope y'all enjoyed it! Yeah, it's taken a turn. But not all chapters are going to be sad like this. I just needed this because it is a plot point and I needed something else to happen other than…you know, sappy stuff. Although sappy stuff is quite enjoyable. _

_Anyway, I hope everyone will review! It means a lot - each and every one I get makes me so happy! Haha._

_Thanks for reading!_


	7. What He Can't See

_**Disclaimer:** Twilight is, sadly, not mine._

_Thanks so much for your reviews! They're always very nice and supportive and helpful and I'm so extremely grateful for everyone who reviewed. Thank you so much, again!_

_Now, here's chapter six!_

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* * *

_

Long Road to Ruin  
Chapter Six: What He Can't See

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* * *

_****  
Jasper. **

The funeral was held a few days later. Everyone was there - it was a small town, so everyone knew and respected Mrs. Hilburn. It rained; it seemed appropriate, all things considering.

I went, of course. I had to be there to support Mom, and plus, to pay respects to Mrs. Hilburn. She had always been kind to me, ever since I was little and new to the town of Forks, she was never mean or gossipy. She was just kind. And we had been kind to her in return. She had definitely not deserved what she had gotten.

It had been a long funeral, complete with the signature sounds of any mourning event - crying, sobbing, laughing bitterly at the jokes the speaker made about what Mrs. Hilburn "would've wanted us to do" and whatnot. Everyone was finally clearing out, leaving the family to mourn and pay their last respects to the coffin, which hadn't yet been lowered into the grave.

I huddled my arms around my torso as a chilly breeze whipped up around me, blowing my unruly blonde hair around my face and making me shiver down to my bones. It was strange, since it was just still August. I chalked it up to the fact that we were in Forks, and Forks wasn't known for its sunny weather.

Mom wrapped an arm around me, and she kissed the crown of my forehead. I sighed and put my arm around her waist.

It chilled me to the bone. It wasn't like that first time I felt this feeling of paranoia outside my house, just yesterday to be exact. This feeling was considerably different…sinister. And it made me shiver again.

_What was that? _I thought, my eyes searching around the gravesite. It felt so chilling…I didn't know what to think of it. I had never felt anything like that in my life. It was strange, and it made me want to get into the car and high tail it home. My eyes continued to search around the gravesite, before they landed on Bella Cullen, standing just a few feet behind me, staring at the back of my head somewhat protectively. I wondered idly if that was the case or if I was just having wishful thoughts.

I also wondered why she was still here. I mean, she had no prior connection to Mrs. Hilburn despite the fact that she was at the pharmacy the other day. In fact, just a few hours before Mrs. Hilburn was killed. I inhaled sharply as another patch of cold wind found my skin.

Our eyes met, and I think she could see the wheels turning in my head. Wondering why she was here, let alone so far away from the actual grave, and just staring at me like I was accident prone. Which I wasn't…or so I thought.

Mom had begun to turn away from the grave, and she dragged me along with her. I didn't want my feet to move, however. It was like the thing that was watching me - just listen to me! If this doesn't scream insanity, I don't know what does - would sense my movement and pounce on me like some motion-sensing beast. I shook my head, wondering why I was having these thoughts. It was stupid. Completely, utterly _ridiculous_!

I made my feet move along with my mother's steps. She had let go of me for a bit and was walking faster, the cold nipping at her ankles that were exposed by the long dress she wore. I could see her hands ball up into fists that she shoved against her eyes to keep the tears from staining her cheeks. I felt bad for her as I hurried to catch up with her.

However, in the action of doing so, my foot got hung on a gravestone. Not one of those large ones that jutted above the earth; it one of those that lay flat and was almost completely obscured by grass that had overgrown it. I felt my feet give from underneath me as I fell to the ground. I threw my hands in front of me to brace my fall. Squeezing my eyes shut, I waited for the impact…

But it never came.

A hard object that felt almost like an iron bar grabbed hold of my waist, keeping me from hitting the ground. To contrast that feeling, a light hand was pressed gently on my back. A smell that reminded me of the sweetest perfume I ever smelled, only sweeter, permeated the air around me. I heard the slight breaths of a person above me, holding me steady. In that moment, it was as if I was in a steel cage so tight around me I couldn't even move a finger.

My arms hung limply in front of me, swaying this way and that, and I opened my eyes, wondering what could've possibly have caught me. The breath caught in my throat as my eyes focused and I saw _her_.

"You alright?" Bella asked, helping me upright. Her golden eyes were wide with concern and shock, as if she were surprised at what she had just done. Her plump lips were inches from me, and I could smell the sweetness coming off of her.

"Yeah…" I said, finally parting from her and brushing myself off, though there was no need to. There was a slight throbbing coming from where Bella's arm had grasped around my stomach, as if I had been punched. I was immediately reminded of my encounter with Emmett in the lunchroom, how I had punched him, and now how my hand was purple and blue - I was almost positive I would have a bruise forming across my stomach soon. "I'm fine. As long as I don't get cursed or anything…I've seen all those movies about people dancin' on graves and getting haunted. Hopefully the same doesn't apply to tripping on graves…" I laughed to myself, feeling stupid at rambling, but I was just too damn happy that she was there.

I turned to face her, only to find her staring intently at me, as if she wanted me to catch on to something vital. I quirked a brow at her, "What?"

She shook her head, as if she was clearing her head, and then her face warmed with a smile, "Nothing…"

"Oh."

"I…just wanted to say I'm sorry about what happened. Your mother looked to be especially close to her…"

"Yeah," I replied, unsure as to where this conversation was headed. And that creepy feeling of being watched washed over me yet again. At this moment, I noticed that Bella's gaze turned severe, her golden eyes hardening, looking almost like solid gold compared to the smooth, liquid color they were most often, "…are _you _alright?"

After that - and I swear I'm not lying - an audible _growl _came from her throat. My eyes widened slightly as her teeth, pearly white and glistening, emerged from behind plump, pink lips. I felt my mouth drop open, and I wondered what exactly was going on.

"Bella," I still had to get used to saying her name aloud. I was wondering what was going on - not to mention the strange growling rumbling in her chest.

She stopped at the sound of my voice, and looked at me with embarrassed eyes before casting them downward to stare timidly at her feet. "I…uh…"

"Don't worry about it."

A strange look crossed her face. It didn't seem…_right _to me. The way she was acting flustered and timid made me wonder why I didn't see even the slightest tinge of blood flood to her cheeks. The skin stayed perfectly white, smooth, like untarnished snow, almost like there was no blood running beneath it at all…

I ended up looking down, just as Bella was doing now, and running a hand through my already messy blonde locks.

"Jasper."

I looked up, my hand still tangled within my locks. I scratched my scalp for a second as my eyes met hers. She was alert again, intense, as if something was prickling her skin. It was almost as if electricity was shooting from her. My eyes widened as I looked at her. The thick wave of mahogany hair was blowing this way and that, and I couldn't help but think, again, of how beautiful she was. "Yeah?"

"Be careful."

I blinked, trying to comprehend the meaning behind her cryptic message, "What are you…talking about, Bella?"

"You don't need to know…just _be careful_." Again, I blinked at her words. What was she talking about? Immediately, I felt confused.

She sensed my confusion, though, I was sure, and then she repeated, her eyes never leaving mine, not for an instant, "_Be safe_, Jasper."

With that, she turned on a heel, and left me standing next to the freshly dug grave, wondering what had just transpired.

She left me wondering what was going on. I wasn't sure what I was missing, but a part of me felt like I was missing something huge. The other part basically wanted that part of me to shut the hell up and admire Bella as she walked away.

Sighing, I looked off at her, catching a glimpse of the hem of her flattering black dress as she rounded a corner and disappeared from sight. My brain was working overtime to figure out what was going on - what I was missing. I bit my bottom lip slightly as I realized that I forgot about my mother. I began to make my way to the car, when I realized that creepy feeling settled over me once more. My heart started to quicken in my chest as I remembered Bella's mysterious plea.

"_**Be safe**__, Jasper."_

My steps began to come faster almost at the same time my heart had decided to pick up its pace.

Somehow, Bella's words made that feeling of being watched all the more…foreboding.

I gulped, my feet aching to break into a run, but I made myself resist the urge to sprint to the car. The time between Bella walking away and my journey to the car seemed to take forever, and I wondered if I would ever get there. The brunette's words made me question if I would get there in one piece.

Finally - _finally _- I made it to the car, only to find my mother leaning against the metallic surface, her arms crossed loosely over her stomach, and her eyes on me as I approached. Her blonde hair whipped around her in utter disarray, while her brown eyes, identical to mine, surveyed me curiously.

"Well, that took long," She finally drawled, rubbing her forearms with her hands, as if to warm them, "Who was that girl?"

"Bella… It was Bella, Ma."

A smirk broke her solemn expression and she managed a rough chuckle, "Really now?" She said in an amused tone, "She was quite pretty, Jazz."

It was my turn to scoff - "quite pretty" didn't come close.

"But," Mom started, "I really didn't take you for the 'damsel in distress' type."

I quirked a brow as my mother opened the car door. I kept watch over her as I rounded the front of the car and opened the passenger's side door. As soon a I was inside, I shut the door and asked, "_Damsel_? What are you talking about?"

She cranked the car, "You fell. Bella caught you. You equals damsel; Bella equals knight." Mom then laughed, the sound of it making the dreary atmosphere lighten considerably. "It was kind of funny. I would never have considered you the clumsy type."

"Not my fault." I said, feeling heat rise to my cheeks. "Grave stone…I tripped over it. Totally didn't see it."

"Oh? Jazzy, you're gonna be haunted now! Haven't you seen those movies?"

I genuinely laughed at that, since it was practically the same thing I had blabbered to Bella about earlier.

Mom drove the car dove the little road that led away from the graveyard. I stared out the window with only the strange image of Bella _growling _plastered in my thoughts. And the image of those pearly white teeth. Only now did I imagine those very teeth coated with blood, as they had been in my dream, and I visibly shuddered at the thought. Shaking my head, her words repeated over and over in my head and I couldn't escape them no matter how hard I tried.

"Are you okay, sweetie?" Mom said, breaking into my reverie. I snapped out of my daze, my eyes focusing for the first time since we left the gravesite, and realized that we were just not pulling into the driveway. "It was quite chilly out there today. Did you catch a cold?"

I looked back at her, my eyes focusing on her face, and shook my head no, "No…"

"Does Bella have a boyfriend?"

I jerked to attention, "_What_!"

"I was only asking. You look like a dejected puppy."

My eyes raked over her tear streaked, sleep deprived face, and I almost smiled bitterly at the irony. Mom was the one who looked dejected. No, depressed. She was better than she had been a few days ago when we had first heard the news of Mrs. Hilburn's death, but I could tell that work wouldn't be the same for her. And, frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if Mom tried to work at the bigger pharmacy in Port Angeles and left me at home. I knew she wouldn't though. She'd never leave me alone if she could help it. Sometimes I was grateful for that, but other times I felt guilty beyond belief for tying her down. She didn't mind though. She loved me with everything she had - I was the only thing in her life that she had left.

She put the car in park and we stepped out of the car at practically the same time. Closing my door, the very same feeling of being watched washed over me like some disgusting wave. Again, it wasn't the feeling of the first time, the vague awareness of protection. This felt sinister and…wrong.

I shook my head as I walked behind my mother, letting her go into the house before I did. As she walked through the threshold, I looked around, my eyes scanning the front yard with paranoia that I didn't know I had before I followed Mom's lead and retreated to the supposed safety of the house.

As I shut the door, Bella's words played like a broken record through my thoughts.

"…_just __**be careful**__."_

Though I had no idea what that meant, I was desperate to find out.

* * *

At school the next day, it was as if nothing had happened. Mrs. Hilburn's bizarre death wasn't a topic of conversation anymore, and a part of me was glad. Let the past just be the past and not bring up painful things anymore. It would help everyone heal, was what I believed.

I walked quietly to my first period class when Jessica came striding confidently up to me.

"Morning, Jasper!" She chirped brightly, looking up at me with eager eyes. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel fine," I said, on guard. The tone of her voice indicated that she wanted something from me, though I wasn't sure what it was, "Why?"

"Oh. Just wondering." Jess backtracked, looking down at her feet as she walked beside me. I gave her a skeptical look as she met my eyes again, "I just wanted to know how you were…" She paused, looking for words, "…after everything that happened."

Wow. Tact from Jessica was about as rare as me being able to cook something without burning my hand.

"I'm fine." I replied yet again, "Mom took it the hardest, but she's doin' better now."

Jessica smiled at me as we walked to class the rest of the way in silence.

I don't know when it hit me, but suddenly, I felt watched. Spinning around to look behind me, I saw nothing, though. Jessica gave me a look that was wondering if I was crazy or not. I felt a lump begin to form in my throat. I don't know what was going on, but I didn't like the feel of it. It was sinister, too dark, too _evil _to not ignore, but I wondered how I got the feeling of that when no one was there.

The theory of my being insane crept back into my thoughts.

_Great. _I thought idly. _Another trip on the insanity wagon?_

Pushing those thoughts aside - I'd have to deal with them later, I decided - I kept walking in the direction of the school building. We finally made it to the steps, and I had just gotten up to the door when I saw that Bella was standing right beside the door, on the other side of it. I could see her profile, and I wondered what she was doing. I didn't have to think long before I saw that her eyes were trained in my direction, looking out the window with intensity. Blinking in confusion, I opened the door for Jessica, who blushed at the gesture, and followed her in.

Jessica turned expectantly when I didn't get a move on, "You coming?"

"Uh…" I tried to think of an excuse so that I could talk to Bella for a bit. When nothing came, I felt the unease of lying take over me. I really hated doing that…

"He wanted to talk with me." A crystal clear voice, like bells, came from beside me.

I perked up and came to attention at the sound of it, "What?"

"_What_?" Jessica's sharp retort came not even seconds after my own.

Bella stood comfortably beside me. My eyes connected with her golden pools and I saw that they were filled with determination. Her thin arms were crossed loosely across her torso in a casual gesture.

Jessica gave her an outright glare before she looked at me with pleading eyes. "Jasper…"

"It's the truth, Jess." I said before she could get anything out, "I'll be in class in a sec."

She looked at me, then at Bella, before wrinkling her nose in disgust and turning haughtily on a heel. I felt a brief moment of anger at her for being like that to Bella, but it passed as soon as she left. No need to get mad at her…although I disagreed with her on her views about the pretty brunette standing beside me.

I turned back to her and noticed that she was staring at the retreating form of Jessica, whose curly brown hair was bouncing behind her as she purposely shook her hips this way and that. Even I, who someone could say was an "idiot savant" when it came to women, could tell that.

"So…" I drawled, trying to break into whatever reverie Bella had barricaded herself in.

She snapped to attention, her blazing gold eyes on me now, and I felt a creeping uneasiness settle in my stomach. "So." She replied, her tinkling voice pointed as if she was trying to make me realize something. "How are things?"

I looked at her, trying to decipher the meaning behind that simple question. I had a feeling that sometimes Bella's words had a double meaning to them, like the words she spoke to me the day of the funeral. I still couldn't figure out what she meant by "being careful," and frankly, I wasn't sure I could ever figure it out unless she told me point blank.

"Good…" I trailed off, my eyes raking over her, mind working in circles.

"Yeah." She said, and as if it took a tremendous effort, she continued, "Nothing weird has been happening to you?"

I blinked, again my mind felt like it was in a knot as fast as it was whirling around itself trying to figure out what made her ask that of all things. Could she know about my situation with feeling like I was being watched? With the way she acted in the cemetery yesterday, I wouldn't be surprised if she knew, but then a part of me figured that she couldn't possibly know about that. She was just making conversation, right?

But I didn't know if I believed that.

"No, nothing weird." I said, trying to sound as honest as possible.

She nodded her head, as if processing that. Processing that, but not quite believing it. "You feeling better?"

"Yeah, yeah," I said, giving her a small smile, which she returned.

We stood in silence for a moment, studying each others' features. I wasn't sure what she saw in me, but I knew what I saw in her. A beautiful enigma of a woman. A woman that saved me when I was a child, and now I found her again. Looking exactly the same as she had that fateful day when she protected me from the cougar.

She looked away abruptly for a moment, casting her gaze to the floor where she stared for a few moments.

"I'm glad." She finally spoke up, "Glad that you've been safe."

I barked out a laugh, "Of course! No trouble comes in Forks. If you haven't noticed, the town you've just moved to is quite a tame town."

"I have reason to doubt that." Her murmured reply was so faint that I wasn't sure if she had even said it. But I saw the movements of her full lips, so I knew that couldn't be the case.

I quirked a brow at her, then ventured to move myself closer to her, "What makes you so sure I'm in danger - ?"

She interrupted me by taking my hand in hers. It was so fast I was barely able to keep my eyes on the action as it happened. Her cold fingers clenched tightly around my wrist and she held my hand, palm up, in front of her. She grasped a pen out of the pocket of her jeans and scribbled something onto the soft skin of my palm. Where it pressed against my skin, it stung and I felt the quiet tinges of pain jolt into me at the pricking point of the pen.

"There." She stated, letting my hand fall against my side. Bella took a step back and looked pointedly at me, as if I should know what it was she had just scribbled onto my hand.

"Uh…" I rumbled intelligently.

"It's my _phone number_."

My eyes must have widened to be the size of saucers. I just got Bella Cullen's phone number. The world must be ending.

"Cell phone." She elaborated for me, "You can text or call or…you know." She trailed off, looking down at her shoes. I thought it was rather charming, the upfront way she had just given me her number, and then the shy way she had just acted after realizing what she had done, as if it was an impulsive decision.

"Just call me if something happens…" She said, sounding even more embarrassed by the minute, "…or if you want to talk or…yeah."

"I'm sure nothing's gonna happen, darlin'." I reassured her, but then she looked up at me with eyes that knew that disagreed vehemently with that point. But then I added, back-tracking, "But I'm sure I'll call you."

She blinked twice and then laughed slightly, the sound of it like the tinkling of bells. "I'll be looking forward to that."

It was strange, the whole "her giving me her number" was kind of mundane seeming for _Bella _of all people. She was anything _but _mundane, I knew that much. But I decided to go with it. I felt my hand tingle where her fingers had touched it.

"Yeah, me too."

"See you in class." She said, her mouth caressing the words like they were the most romantic phrase ever uttered.

"Yeah…"

With that, she turned and walked to first hour, albeit a bit early, but still, it was nice watching her petite figure walk away, her hips swaying naturally and in a slightly seductive manner as she went. I couldn't keep my eyes away from her.

Not until she was out of my sight could I look away and then lift my hand to examine the number written on my palm. Even though it was just a bunch of numbers, they all resonated to me, meaning something. Meaning that I actually had a means to contact Bella out of school. To talk to her. Hear her voice. Hell, maybe even go out with her one night if I had the balls to ask her.

As I stood there, slack-jawed and gazing at my hand like a man who had found gold, my head was filled with thoughts.

Bella.

"_**Be safe**__, Jasper."_

The funeral.

"…_**be careful**__…"_

Bella, Bella, Bella…

Shaking my head, I realized I needed to get a move on. The bell would ring in seconds, and here I was, thinking sappy shit about some girl - _Not just __**some girl**__, _I berated myself - I barely knew. This wasn't like me at all.

I walked to class, still staring at my hand, and my thoughts consumed me once more.

As I turned to open the door to my first period class, that same feeling of being watched washed over me. I was chilled to the core, and I bit my lip at the feelings that washed over me all at once. They were so powerful that they almost disabled me. I was surprised that the feeling of being watched had occurred while I was indoors. Usually, it came over me when I was outside, or in my car, but never in a building. I was scared at the intensity I felt watching over me. Too many more emotions to count all rushed around me, clogging everything that I had once been thinking about.

Gulping, I turned around, looking about. No one was in the hall except myself. Everyone else was outside, enjoying the few moments of fresh air before class started.

_You're crazy, Whitlock. _I told myself as I opened the door to my first period class. _Crazy, crazy, crazy._

As soon as I stepped in, I saw Bella looking at me intently, as I she was waiting for me to do something. She was tensed, I could see, but I didn't know what was causing that tension. Her pretty features were even attractive when she was in such discomfort like that.

_Crazy over her. _A voice in the back of my mind told me.

I didn't have a good enough comeback to that.

* * *

_**End Chapter Six.**_

_There ya go! Wow, it seemed to take me forever to finish this, but I guess that's just me as a writer. I hope it turned out okay! _

_Anyway, yeah, Jasper has feelings for Bella, but he's not "in love" with her yet. This is gonna be a kind of slow building love story, for those that want the action to start. He's got a kind of…hm, obsession with her, simply because, well, she's saved his life before. And now that he's seen her after so long, and she hasn't changed, well, he's got a bit of a curiosity issue going on and such about her. So yeah, no looove yet, but it'll come. Slowly, but it's coming. I just really don't like stories where in the first couple of chapters there's a whole "I love you" scene. I like relationships that build slowly and…yeah._

_Anyway, thanks for reading and please review!_


	8. Under Pressure

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Twilight!_

_100+ reviews! I feel so incredibly grateful! I am so happy! Thanks to everyone for their support! I really appreciate it, and I am so glad that everyone is liking how the story is going so far! I'm very happy for all the positive reviews this fic has gotten! _

_And, since I really have nothing to do now, I just decided to get started on the next chapter! There are only so many things you can do when you are recovering from getting your wisdom teeth removed. Haha. Anyway, please enjoy!_

* * *

**Long Road to Ruin  
****Chapter Seven: Under Pressure**

* * *

**Bella. **

If I were actually among the living, I'm sure my heart would be going double time right about now.

I never really remembered a time when I had been so forward with a boy - let alone someone I barely knew. Never mind a _human _of all things.

I watched him as he walked past me, taking his usual seat in the back of the class. The scent of his sweet blood passed with him, but I could still pick it out of the other smells of blood in the classroom. It was quite easy to do, I found. I could probably smell the aroma of his blood anywhere and know who it was.

Shaking my head slightly, I groaned at my own foolishness.

I guess I wasn't sure when I had decided to let my guard down around him. Maybe since he hadn't decided to ask me about our…encounter all those years ago. Maybe it was because I finally stopped caring what my family thought of me. Maybe it was because I was…lonely. And there was something about Jasper that drew me to him, and vice versa.

The attraction he felt for me was almost palpable, and I wasn't being conceited. Edward had told me some of the rapid, consuming thoughts he had about me. I didn't know if I actually wanted Edward to tell me, for I always thought that was a kind of invasion of privacy, in a way. That was why I was immensely glad that I was the only one immune to his talents. Also, the fact that it was Jasper thinking those things about me…well, it was flattering, I had to say. But it was also strange and exciting at the same time.

I stretched my arms above my head, trying to keep up my human charade by moving my limbs and such, so as to not look _too _much like a statue, and I yawned, for extra effect before taking my hand and raking it lazily across my thick mane of hair, pulling away some stray strands from my face.

I leaned forward, intent on looking interested in whatever lecture the teacher was giving us, when in fact I had heard all of the things they were trying to teach us before. It wasn't a rare thing, school. It was quite repetitive, and boring. And I knew that I wasn't the only one who thought that. The feeling of boredom and dullness in the room was so heavy, it was like a woolen blanket placed over my body.

I sighed again, when a note was placed stealthily on my desk, right beside my elbow. I stared at in, uncomprehending, and not sure if I wanted to read it, but then I looked across and saw that Alice was looking at me with a curious gaze, her butterscotch eyes almost willing me to read it.

I took the note and carefully opened it, trying not to draw attention to myself, or the teacher. I didn't want any accidents to happen like having the teacher - whose name I now remembered to be Mr. Bolton - to steal the note and read it aloud. I've heard, and even seen this happen, but have never experienced it myself. Thank goodness for the stealthy grace of being the undead.

_You gave Jasper your number???? _The note read in Alice's tiny, perfect writing. The number of question marks almost made me laugh aloud, but I kept it in.

I scribbled back, _Yeah, I did. And I see that Edward has been focusing on __**his **__mind in particular._

Then I discreetly passed the note back to Alice. That girl did have a penchant for gossip, particularly that of which involved me.

The note came back a few seconds later, _Edward says it's hard not to focus on his mind when he's practically __**yelling **__in his thoughts about you. They're that intense._

I was sure if I had blood pumping through my system, it would have all rushed to my cheeks and neck in a blush that would put the shyest of girls to shame. I wrote back quickly, _Whatever. What did you want, anyway?_

The note was back within seconds, _To know if you plan on getting jiggy with the human!!_

I stifled another fit of giggles that threatened to expose me before writing, _Jiggy? You seriously did not just use that term. And, no, I'm not. I'll talk to you about this later. In private._

I tossed the note to her and the response was back faster than I could blink. _You're such a hater. How's __**that **__for a current phrase? _And then there was a little frowning face drawn out beside where she had written, letting me know she was just playing with me. I chuckled slightly before I ripped the note into several pieces and shoved them into my pocket, intent on throwing the scraps into the trash when the bell rang.

Mr. Bolton wrapped up his lecture with several words that I'm not sure even he knew the meaning of, and barked out a few pages for us to read for homework. I groaned again as I flipped the pages of my book to find where he had specified. _Ah, the Revolutionary War, nothing I haven't read before. _I thought crassly, hating this. I knew enough to teach the class, but here I was, reduced to reading something about a war I had heard about more times than I could count.

After that, the bell rang, and I realized just how fast the time had flown by ever since Jasper entered the room. Everyone rose to their feet and rushed to the door, headed for their next class. I couldn't blame them; this class had been boring as hell.

I was one of the last people to leave class. I purposefully gathered my books slowly into my arms, trying to take as much time as I could to avoid second period English, though English had always been one of my favorite subjects, even from the time when I was a human.

I walked to the door, books in hand, and out into the hallway, where I was met with a rather irate looking Alice. "Bella!" She exclaimed, grasping my wrist and tugging me along with her.

"What is it, Alice?"

"That smell. I hadn't noticed it until I got into the hall."

I inhaled, and the familiar scent of someone I had long known filled my nostrils. The sweet scent of a vampire was everywhere, and not all of it from my family, "Yeah. What about it?"

"Aren't you worried?"

"No." I said, and surprisingly, I wasn't.

"Why not?"

"We can take her." I said, and the confidence in my voice was surprising even to myself, considering what had happened in the graveyard just yesterday…

I shook my head, not wanting to focus on that particular moment. That was one of the rare times I let my guard down, for whatever reason. I wanted to protect Jasper, though I knew I shouldn't have worried. It was silly, but still, I felt the need to protect him surge through me and the growl escaped my lips without me wanting it to.

Alice looked at me, her eyes surprised and awestruck at my expression, "I know you're right…well, that's what I see right now."

I smiled and looped my hand through her tiny arm. "Let's go. Wouldn't want to be late for Mrs. Davis's wonderful lecture."

"Ah, the wonders of high school life."

I laughed as Alice and I walked to our second period class.

* * *

**Jasper. **

I found myself looking for her as I sat in my seat, having gotten to second period quite early. My eyes searched the room, and I finally found what I was looking for.

Bella entered the classroom somewhat hesitantly, her books clenched to her side, and Alice's small arm twined with her own. The small black haired girl was laughing at something Bella had said, and Bella's face was lit up with a smile that took my breath away. I found myself smiling along with them, for whatever reason.

Then, Bella's golden eyes turned to me and locked upon mine. I felt my heart stop in my chest.

_Wow. Not only are you insane, but you are pathetic as well, Whitlock. _I told myself before scoffing bitterly.

Bella made her way over to her usual seat in front of me. I was glad that she hadn't decided to move seats. She sat down with that same abnormal gracefulness that all of the Cullen group had. It was quite a sight to behold. Very rarely did actual people have that kind of uncanny grace, let alone people who really have no physical relation to one another - or so I'd been told by Jessica.

She maneuvered her way into the seat in front of me, and I watched the way her slight hips rolled under the fabric of the loose skirt she wore. The top she wore clung to her in an appealing way, and it was the shade of dark blue looked beautiful with her skin and dark brown hair…

I leaned forward and put my cheek in my hand, closing my eyes and trying not to focus too much on her intoxicating presence in front of me, let alone the sweet - almost too sweet - smell of her. I idly wondered what kind of perfume she wore, or if it was her natural scent. Ugh…I really was obsessed.

"Jasper." I heard a voice. _Her _voice.

My eyes shot open against my own accord, and I was met with her topaz eyes that were slightly brighter than they were yesterday. I quirked an eyebrow slightly, wondering how that was possible. "Hey, Bella." My southern accent wrapped around her name like a blanket, and she smiled at it.

"How are you?"

"Good. Bored, but good."

She grinned and the force of it again made me forget to breathe. Never before had I been so beside myself with a woman before. Not to mention the fact that I barely knew this woman. The tinkling of her voice brought me back to the first time we met, in the woods, after she had saved my life.

"What about you…I mean, how are you?"

Bella focused her eyes on me before saying, "I'm alright. Now."

I inhaled shakily as her eyes never left mine. The intensity of them almost took my breath away again, but I tried to fight it. Did she mean she was alright now because of me? No, no. That couldn't be possible. It was ludicrous. Why would she be alright because of me? I was getting cocky. Hopelessly cocky. And I couldn't afford to become like that.

She smiled, as if she knew what my thoughts were.

"Uh…" I was blubbering like a moron who had never been next to a girl before, "…are you serious about…" I held up my hand with her eloquent writing on it.

"Yes." She said seriously. "Of course."

"Oh…well, I was just wondering about - "

"If I wasn't serious about you calling me, Jasper, I wouldn't have given you my number."

Her eyes never left mine, and we just stared at each other, as if we were in our own world. I was sure my heart could be heard thumping frantically by people a mile away. She then reached out and took my hand, her fingers stroking over the numbers she had written just an hour ago.

"You don't have to call if you don't want…" She trailed off playfully.

"No! I mean, yeah. I want to. I was just…I dunno." _Smooth one, Jazz. Way to make yourself sound like a hopeless moron that has never gotten laid. _I thought, well, not that it wasn't the truth. I was rather embarrassed about it. Every guy in the locker room usually told about their conquests, and I never really had a story about it. I was the innocent one, the virgin guy among lots of men with experience. And now, I was really showing how green I was when it came to women. Especially Bella.

Bella only giggled, like my innocence was cute to her. Great.

"Good. I wanted you to call me."

I blinked before smiling at her, and she looked taken aback by the expression of pure happiness that took over my face, as if she hadn't expected my reaction to be one of joy.

"_Jasper._"

I shot to attention. That voice wasn't Bella's, I knew that much. That was one voice I had heard for my whole time here at Forks High. Bella cocked her head to the side in an irresistible manner before looking to the seat across from me, to our right, where Jessica was gazing at me in interest mixed with jealousy that she wasn't even trying to hide.

"Oh, hey, Jess."

Jessica looked at me with a longing that I was surprised at how blatant it was. Her brown eyes were intense, but they didn't have the same kind of affect that Bella's did on me. They were actually kind of wild, scary, but they had the same kind of intensity that the girl in front of me had just unleashed on me except not as refined, as if she had never done that before.

"You know about the dance after the first football game, right?" She asked, a small smile making its way across her lips before her eyes moved to Bella, just waiting for her to interrupt like she had in the hall this morning. The jealousy became even more apparent in her eyes and I just looked at her with a quirked brow before I answered.

"Oh, right." I said, as if I finally got what she was trying to get at, "Yeah. The dance."

I had totally forgotten that every year, after the first football game, there was a dance. Kind of a back-to-school dance type of thing. It would be held in the gym and there would be dancing and such, because it was a _dance_, after all, as well as food and punch and everything that really made a school get together like that.

"When is it?" Bella asked curiously, looking from me to the unwelcome, uncaring gaze that Jessica had focused on her. I swear the look that Jessica was giving Bella was like she wanted nothing more than to start a cat fight with her and beat the living shit out of her, but I had a feeling that it would be the other way around if that were to happen anyway.

"The first football game?" I questioned, looking back and forth between the two girls, "Well, I think it's in about two weeks. After the first home game every year, there's a dance at the gym and such." I explained. "It's not usually a big deal, but everyone goes, because…well, it's _Forks _of all places. What else do we have to do here?" I laughed, and Bella did as well at my explanation. I could practically feel the dislike emanating from Jessica at our connection.

Bella looked over at Jessica with a smile that would melt the coldest of hearts, but the curly haired brunette didn't buy it. If anything, her scowl only deepened.

"I was going to ask," Jessica started, "If you would like to go with me, Jasper."

"To where?" I questioned.

Bella and Jessica looked at me incredulously. Wow, my utter blondeness was showing. "Oh! Yeah, uh, to the dance?"

"Duh." Jessica said, her brown eyes fiery and unsettling. I really never realized how much she disliked Bella, nor did I know _why _she had such an aversion to her. I didn't think Bella had done anything to her, so why…

I looked to Bella, as if for her permission, which I realized I didn't need anyway, but I felt somewhat wrong for saying yes to Jessica when Bella was right there. It felt…not just wrong, but really like I _shouldn't _say yes to Jessica. But I didn't want to hurt her feelings. Nor did I want to give Jess the wrong impression.

"As friends?" I asked.

Jessica's face fell a bit, but then I think she realized that that was better than me saying no. She looked at me with a softened gaze, and my heart went out to her. Did she really like me that much? I never really had a clue. "I guess…if you want…"

I reached over and put my hand on hers, "Yeah. I'll go with you."

I could practically feel her emotions - a mixture of happiness and joy as well as the faint tinges of sadness that came with my reaction before. I could also guess what Bella was going through - confusion, maybe a tinge of jealousy, and just a bit of admiration for my reaction.

Jessica moved her eyes up to mine and I inhaled deeply at the sight. Seeing her eyes made me feel glad to make her feel better, but sad that I would never really, truly feel the same way she felt about me. My mind was too much on Bella, and I really didn't think I could…be with someone without completely thinking what it would be like if Bella was there. It was strange, and I hadn't known Bella for a long time, but that was how I felt.

"Thanks, Jasper." She said, and the sincerity in her voice was almost palpable.

"No prob." I reassured, taking my hand from hers. I then caught a brief glimpse of her giving a snaky smirk to Bella, before she turned to Lauren and started giggling uncontrollably. That smirk, the lack of respect she put in it, made me want to take everything back. Bella hadn't done anything to her, really, and she was making it a competition. Over what, I couldn't be sure. Popularity, beauty, being wanted? Me? No, couldn't be me. There was the cockiness coming from me again.

I looked at Bella and gave her an apologetic look. I felt really sorry about doing that in front of her. But the guilt I felt over making Jessica sad overwhelmed me, and I just couldn't say no for some reason, but I did when it wasn't really what I wanted.

I opened my mouth to say something, but Bella cut me off with a wave of her slender, white hand, "It's fine. Don't worry about it. I completely understand."

My heard leapt with the words. She wasn't mad? Well, I don't see why she would be, but I was glad that she wasn't.

"We'll see each other at the dance, anyway," Bella continued quietly, as if she didn't want Jessica to overhear, "We may not go together as a 'couple,' but we'll see each other, at least. And that's fine with me."

I smiled at her, and wondered what the change in her was. The way she was hesitant when we first met at school was almost gone; I could sense a slight hesitance still, but it wasn't nearly as bad or as prominent as it was when we first met.

"That's good."

She nodded, smiling at me, and then turned back around, her long mane of hair whispering against my face. Mrs. Davis had finally gotten to the classroom, a large, new coffee stain on her blouse and a frustrated look on her features. No wonder she was late.

"Hello, class." She said, and the frustration was even evident in her words. She had no intent on hiding it, and it made me antsy. Her being agitated usually meant that we were in for a shit load of homework.

I immediately dozed out, leaning forward with my cheek in my hand.

I could still hear the chattering between Jessica and Lauren across from me, and caught my name a few times, followed by giggles. I tried to zone it out as well, but couldn't quite. The giggling and whatnot was still apparent and I almost groaned aloud as it started to grate on my nerves.

I could catch a few of their words.

"See? I told you!" Lauren whispered.

"Yeah, I'm so glad he said yes."

"That _Bella _has nothing on you."

The way Lauren said Bella's name made me want to reach over and strangle her - and I had a staunch policy of not hitting women.

"Ugh, she thinks she can just waltz up in here and take him? Heh, she was mistaken." Lauren continued. Surprisingly, she was badmouthing her more than Jessica was. Jessica was only acting happy at getting me to go to the dance with her.

I felt my blood boil as Lauren continued to talk smack.

They went on with their taunts, they confident gestures on how they were better and prettier and just overall _God's gift to men_, and I had a problem keeping my temper in check as they badmouthed Bella.

As if sensing my mood, Bella turned around, looking at me out of the corner of her eye, "It's okay." I saw her mouth, her plump lips caressing the words.

I shook my head in defiance. Mrs. Davis hadn't started talking yet. I guess she was just waiting for us to do something. She didn't look like she felt like teaching today, so I was grateful. She had written some pages on the board for us to read while she basically just read some kind of novel I couldn't pronounce the name of, for it was in French or something.

"Bella. Ugh. She needs to get herself in check." Lauren said, and I saw her fishy eyes move to the brunette beauty in front of me.

That was the straw that broke the camel's back. I snapped my head to the right, connecting my eyes that were full of rage with Lauren's, "_Hey_." I said furiously. I could see Bella tense up in front of me.

"Yes?" Lauren asked, as if she had done nothing wrong.

"Listen, I'm nice to Jessica because she's my friend. A good friend. I have no problem going with her to the dance. But you, Lauren? I have no loyalty to you other than the fact that you are Tyler's girl. You don't even know Bella, and here you are talking bad about her. Sure, you can do it - you always do it to people who you feel threatened by - I know, because nothing anyone has ever said stopped you before. But just _don't do it in front of me_. That's where I draw the line."

"You…you don't know her either." came Lauren's weak attempt at defending herself.

"I know her well enough." I said in rage, "Better than you ever will, frankly."

Jessica looked at me with a mixture of admiration and shock. I could see that she was admiring me standing up for someone who was being attacked, but I could also see the hurt in her eyes. She thought this meant I had feelings for Bella I wasn't telling anyone. And I wasn't sure if she was on the right track or not…

Lauren flipped her pin-straight, pale blonde hair and turned around, back to Jessica, who was smiling at me for some strange reason. Probably hoping that I'd react as strongly to anyone who talked about her in that way, just like I had reacted to Bella being attacked. I gave her a faint smile and she returned it, turning back to her desk to start on her work. I had shut up Lauren, and that was good. But I was sure that she would tell Tyler all about what just happened. Not that I cared. Tyler and I had been friends for a long time, and I doubted he would be too angry at me with the situation that presented itself.

I turned back in my seat and flipped open my book to the pages specified by Mrs. Davis. Just as I was starting on my work, Bella turned around again. I looked up and met her eyes. They were shimmering with gratitude, and the butterscotch color of them was filled with appreciation.

"Thank you." She whispered quietly, so quietly in fact that I would've have known she was talking if I hadn't have seen her lips move.

"No problem, Bella."

Her eyes softened as she put her hand on mine and squeezed lightly. I was sure she meant to do it lightly, but the feel of her fingers were like iron bars around my hand. I was just glad it wasn't the bruised one she had decided to take. That wouldn't have been good at all.

Her hand left mine and she turned around again, probably for the final time in this class. My hand tingled where her fingers made contact with my warm skin. The coolness of her hand was strange. Abnormally cold, artic.

My eyes softened as I looked ahead at her, her hair now hanging over her shoulders, obscuring the sides of her face.

I willed myself to look away from the sight. I bowed my head over my own work when I felt someone watching me. This time, it didn't feel sinister. It just felt like curiosity, as well as a kindness that was completely different than I felt earlier this morning.

Turning my head, I saw that the black haired Alice was staring at me, with an eternal gaze, as if she knew something I was too stupid to notice. Her eyes were a darker shade of topaz than Bella's, but I could've sworn that they were the same color just a few days ago.

She gave me a smile that lit up her pixie like features, an all-knowing smile that confused me as well as made me wonder what it could mean. It was almost like she knew what was going to happen, but no, that was stupid. I shouldn't think of things like that, not when I already thought I was going insane.

I quirked a brow as I smiled back at her. She gave me a nod in courtesy before she turned back to her work.

That look she gave me set with me the rest of the class hour. I couldn't get it out of my head.

I also couldn't forget how Bella was now acting around me.

It was all so different, but…

But it felt right.

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_**End Chapter Seven.**_

_There it is! The end of chapter seven! It came faster than I thought it would, but again, it seemed like it took forever to write! I hoped you enjoyed this! I know I enjoyed writing it. Especially the scene where Jasper gave it to Lauren. I ain't got a problem with Lauren, but seriously? I needed somewhat of an antagonist and…Lauren is the unfortunate one…for now! Haha._

_Anyway, I hope you liked this! Please review! It would mean a lot. I love every single on of you that reviewed because, well, it's very kind! And it shows that you really like my story. (Wow. I sound like a review whore. Sorry.) _

_Thanks again for reading!_


	9. Loopholes

_**Disclaimer:** I don't own Twilight!_

_Thanks so much for all the kind reviews! I always enjoy hearing good stuff about what I write and it's just so nice that everyone is liking the story so far. Thanks again! And here's chapter eight!_

_Enjoy!_

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**Long Road to Ruin  
****Chapter Eight: Loopholes**

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Jasper.**

"Hey."

I turned slowly around, my tennis shoes squeaking slightly on the tiled floor of the hallway. The bell to signify break had just rang, and I was headed to the snack stand to get a bag of chips or some kind of junk food that could soothe my cravings right now. I wasn't expecting to be talked to by Edward Cullen, however, and it caught me completely off guard.

"Oh, hey, Eddie." I grinned lazily at him.

He laughed in response to that, but the gesture didn't touch his eyes. They were darker than normal, and idly I wondered why they were so. Edward gave me a strange look with a quirked bronze brow, and then picked up his graceful pace to match mine, so we walked side by side…with absolutely everyone watching.

Great.

I sighed and looked around, my brown eyes studying everyone's reactions. Lauren looked particularly shocked that I was walking with most possibly the most attractive guy in school - well, at least _one _of the most attractive, since…well…

I shook my head, my unruly blonde locks flying around my face. _What kind of moron are you? Calling guys attractive. Weirdo! Don't __**ever **__think that again! _

I heard soft chuckling beside me and looked to find the bronze haired man smiling crookedly at _something_. I just couldn't be certain what it was. It was strange, this guy laughing in my presence every time I talked to him. What was the deal? Did I look funny or something? Was I that incredibly bad looking in his presence that the difference was comical?

Ugh. I groaned, running a hand through my honey colored locks and slumped my shoulders in a relaxed manner.

Not that I thought I was bad looking, no. I usually thought I was pretty okay. I wasn't conceited, but I wasn't totally self-deprecating anyway. But next to Edward I probably looked like…well, something normal next to something artfully handsome.

Wow, I need to get a life.

Again, Edward's chuckles met my ears and I was instantly on guard. What did he want anyway?

"I wanted to ask you about your intentions."

I blinked, confused, "Uh…what? With you?"

This only made Edward laugh louder, "Sure. Yes, what are you intentions with me?"

"I planned on taking you out to dinner and a movie, and then we could go back to my place…"

"Stop there." Edward said, holding up a deathly pale hand, and I realized that he was enjoying my attempt at joking, "I'm not that easy. Sex on the first date? Uh, no."

I threw my head back and laughed. Never did it cross my mind that the new "brooding hunk of Forks High" could have a sense of humor.

We continued to walk the distance to third period, which he had with me, along with his other family. That was yet another class I had with Bella, and I couldn't help but feel a bit excited over it. Third hour was science with Mrs. Glenn, and though I liked science, I hadn't been able to concentrate ever since the Cullens came to Forks.

"I was actually talking about your intentions with Bella."

My steps stuttered, and I almost tripped over my own feet, but I gathered myself, righting my body and then stopped, turning my head to gaze into his oddly dark eyes, "What are you talking about?"

"Exactly what I just said."

His eyes were intense, seeming to burn holes into my own. I just stared, dumbfounded, as if what he just said was the most ridiculous thing in the world.

And in a way, it was. Because, well, Bella, no matter what kind of interactions we have had before, most likely would never be attracted to me. Though I considered myself a good enough looking guy, she was…well, to be absolutely blunt, _hot_. No, more than hot, the adjective to describe her looks was something that probably hadn't been invented yet. Either that or I was even more stupid than I originally thought.

The likes of her would most likely not even talk to me in normal circumstances, but there was something about her that drew me to her, and I thought that maybe she felt the same way. It was most likely our past, and the way that she saved me when I was just a little child. I would like to think that she remembered that she had saved a little blonde boy one day, but I was faced with the fact that she was probably not as obsessive over that one little moment in time as I was.

"Listen," I gazed at him as casually as I could muster, "I really don't have any intentions with her. We've just talked. And I doubt it will be more than that…"

Edward blinked, his eyes suddenly turning sympathetic, and he placed a hand on my shoulder, carefully, as if afraid his touch could hurt me. I idly wondered if his skin would hurt me like Emmett's had when I punched him, or when Bella's arm wrapped like a steel girder around my waist. I felt the bruise from the latter encounter pulse as if in response to my thoughts about it.

Yes, it was true. The day after my little encounter with Bella at the graveyard, I woke up with a nasty bruise circling around the front of my stomach and ending where my back began. It was just the shape and width of her slender arm as well. So now I had the one on my knuckles, which was slowly beginning to yellow and heal, and the new purpling one on my stomach to match. I needed to remind myself to never actually hit a Cullen with the intent to hurt them. I'd probably end up getting sent to the hospital.

I saw the corners of Edward's mouth turn upward in an all-knowing smile. I hated this. _Why does it seem like this guy knows __**everything**__? _I thought, clenching my fists and wincing as the bruise on my knuckles gave me a slight stab of pain.

Edward just looked at me, as if answering, _Because I do._

Shaking my head once more, I looked at Edward, who had started walking once more. I jogged two steps until I was caught up with him. The breath came easily out between my lips, "Why do you want to know of…_my intentions_?"

It was Edward's turn to look taken off guard, though he didn't stumble like I had. If anything, his pace was even more graceful, though I was sure that wasn't possible.

"Bella is…" Edward trailed off, a wry smile tugging at his mouth, "my _sister_. And I don't want any harm to befall her. Do you understand?"

I looked at him, all seriousness, "I'd never hurt her."

And though I hadn't even known her all that long, I knew that my words were nothing but the truth. I would never do anything to hurt Bella, to cause her pain. I didn't think I was capable of doing such.

Apparently, Edward did, "Not _intentionally_, of course. But…there is a chance that you could cause harm to come to yourself if you hang around us. Particularly Bella. Because she already has a bit of attachment to you. I'm no mind reader," He grinned as soon as he said those last two words, "but I know my sister. And if anything were to happen to you…she wouldn't be able to forgive herself."

"Are you…telling me to stay away from her?" I was incredulous. Why was Edward telling me this? It made no sense. I had done nothing to receive this from him. I hadn't made Bella cry, had I? I hadn't hurt her feelings, right?

Suddenly, a thought struck upon me, and Edward seemed privy to it before I even voiced it, "Did I hurt her feelings by snapping at Lauren in second hour? I don't see why…I mean, Lauren was saying nasty stuff about her and - "

"No." Edward said, smiling warmly, "She's actually very flattered that you would do that for her. Chivalry never goes out of style, after all."

"And about Jessica - "

"No, she's happy about that, actually." Edward said, again the warm smile dispersed any iciness that had been there before, "Bella told me that she was happy for that because you were so nice about it. And, plus, she's going to be at the dance as well. Strange, she usually hates dances."

I felt my heart stutter and then stop for a few seconds, before picking up again at full force. Bella hated dances? And yet she was going? A part of me wished it was because of me, but I knew that to think that would make me get to arrogant, and then it would make the disappointment even worse when I learned that Bella actually wanted to date Mike or whoever.

I squinted my eyes shut. Since when did I care who Bella dated? She could date anyone, for all I cared! Wasn't my business.

_Denial, denial. _A nagging voice spoke up in my head.

"Ugh." I groaned aloud, and started to massaged my temples with the pads of my index fingers.

"You alright?" Edward asked, looking concernedly at me.

"Fine." I muttered between clenched teeth. I had a very bad headache all of a sudden, and I wasn't sure why. Probably thinking too much. Analyzing the situation never was my strong suit.

"You sure? The nurse probably has some medicine."

"I'm good." I reassured him, grinning as I ground my teeth.

I could almost feel the concern radiating off of him in waves. The intensity of it made me wince slightly as the sudden panging in my head increased. I groaned as Edward's dark gold eyes stared at me. Strange, they seemed to be getting darker and darker as the conversation went on.

The emotion in his eyes grew more and more pronounced.

"Edward?" A light, lilting voice, like bells, sounded from beside us.

_Bella. _I thought, and even the sound of that reeked of hopefulness.

"Oh, Bella." Edward said, looking to her with a charming smile. "Headed to class?"

"Yeah," Bella said, "Alice and Rose ditched me. So I decided to walk by myself. Then I saw you two…" She trailed off as she saw my face, twisted in pain, "Are you alright, Jasper?"

"Headache." Both Edward and myself said in unison.

Bella's honey golden eyes turned worried as she looked at me. She reached up and placed her pale hand against my forehead. The utter coolness of it made me shiver.

"Aw, I'm sorry," Bella said, genuinely, her golden eyes locking with mine, and I couldn't find the will to look away like I normally did. Instead, a flush spread across my cheeks - a rather non-masculine thing to do, I might add - and I laughed nervously. Why was it that when I was just in her presence like this it was a chore for me to function normally?

She moved her hand, and I immediately felt a sense of loss. I wanted desperately for her to keep her hand there. But, then again, that was just wishful thinking, because I knew that wasn't going to happen. Not with the strange way she distanced herself, or with the way Edward was suddenly staring at her like she had grown an extra head. I looked quizzically back and forth between the bronze haired man and the gorgeous brunette in front of me with nothing but confusion swirling around inside my head.

"Do you feel at least a little better?" Bella asked me, cocking her head to the side in the most cute manner.

"Y-Yeah," I replied, somewhat shakily. It was true that the mysterious headache vanished just as it came. It was strange. Not that I had never gotten a headache before - most of the time they came and went like normal people have, but other times, when I felt unusually overwhelmed, I got them.

Then I felt it.

What had overwhelmed me to the point head splitting pain wasn't my analyzing anything too much.

The feelings of sinister energy - I don't know how to describe it, but I _felt _them, much like I had all those other times - that I had encountered before were locked on me, like a million razor sharp daggers, just waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike and cripple me.

I shuddered with the feelings. They weren't as intense as before, but the lingering pain of my headache was resurging, and I groaned. "Great…"

"What is it?" Bella was suddenly on guard, which was odd. What did she have to be on guard about? Her shoulders were tense and her eyes were focused, as if she were looking for something I couldn't see yet.

"Nothing…" I insisted, "My head, is all. I'll go get some medicine from the office. No worries." I gave Bella a smile that I hoped was genuine when all I could think about was her face, worried and protective, and the fact that the sinister feeling only kept intensifying with each passing second.

Bella looked at me with increasing worry and I waved my hand, as if to beckon her to go to class. She turned her head and glanced at Edward with a pleading glance. He nodded, and then Bella turned to me, "I'll walk with you."

"Oh, no, you don't have to. Don't bother yourself with me."

"But I _want _to walk with you."

Bella's voice sounded so sure, so determined, that it was hard to refuse her. Not to mention the fact that all my normal, rational brain functions went out the door as soon as she turned her dark gaze on me. _Huh. Her eyes seem darker in color today too…More black than anything. _I noted as I gazed into them.

"Alright," I resigned, "Come on."

Though I tried my best to sound nonchalant and maybe even a little bored, it didn't come off as such. I ended up sounding like a giddy little kid, and that was wholly embarrassing.

I walked down the hall to the office just as the tardy bell rang. Great. Oh, well, maybe Mrs. Glenn would give us a pass since we were so early in the school year, and since I had a killer headache that was just starting to kick back up again. Not to mention that strange, creepy feeling I was starting to get lately, as if I was being watched by something - or someone. I couldn't be sure.

My most common explanation would be that I was crazy. Even now, I wasn't so sure that would be a valid excuse. I had thought I was insane when I had seen Bella for the first time, and insisted she was real. And here she was, walking next to me. There was some truth in what I saw, though I didn't know the whole truth yet, I had to admit.

But I wondered if there was more to my sudden headache and the eerie feelings I received than I thought. Maybe they were all more based on facts than I originally thought.

I inhaled deeply as I turned the final corner to the principal's office. I couldn't even make out Bella's footfalls, so I turned around only to see that she was following behind me. Odd. She hadn't made a sound since we started walking. I might as well have been walking by myself for all the noise I heard from her.

"Something wrong?" The tense tone of Bella's voice signaled that there _should _be something wrong, but I wasn't so sure.

"No, I just…I thought you had ditched me. You're so quiet."

"Sorry."

"No, it's okay. I just didn't hear any footsteps or anything."

The look on Bella's face was shocked, as if she couldn't comprehend how I realized that. She said nothing, though.

So, I decided, why the hell not? And asked her another question.

"Do y'all wear contacts or something?"

Again, she was caught up short. "Wh-What do you mean?"

"Maybe it's just me, but your eyes look different today. They're darker…black."

Her onyx eyes widened in shock, as if she was surprised by my perceptiveness.

"Uh," Bella stuttered, her tinkling voice unsure as to how to react to my sudden accusation. "Yeah. Contacts. I have dark contacts."

Something about her answer didn't sit well with me. It felt like she was just agreeing with me so she'd have an excuse for the way her eyes were.

"Really? Ah, I really like your eyes naturally…you know, the gold. They're pretty."

Bella seemed to inhale shakily for once and she averted her eyes. It seemed odd, on her features I would've expected a blush or some kind of color, but not even the faintest of pink graced her cheeks. It was…strange, to say the least. Maybe she just wasn't a blushing person, but a part of me seriously doubted that.

"Thanks." Was all she said.

I grinned at her and again, that strange she-should-be-blushing look crossed her face.

I walked into the office, requested some Tylenol, which the receptionist gave me gladly. I smiled at her too and, unlike Bella, she actually blushed despite herself.

Leaving the office, I walked to the water fountain, with Bella still following me, but this time she was a little closer to my side. I popped the pills in my mouth and swallowed some water, feeling the caplets make their way down my throat.

I straightened myself up and looked at Bella, "Guess we should get to class."

"Yeah. Guess so."

She still looked a bit shaken from my inquiry about her eyes. Which was odd. Not even when she was being badmouthed by Lauren did she seem so shaken and surprised. I wondered what was going through her head.

"The first football game is in two weeks?"

This time it was my turn to act shocked, "Uh, yeah. Why?"

"Well, I wanted to come watch you play." Bella said cheerfully, but the tinge of shock and awe brought on by my comments still hadn't left her eyes.

I felt the blush creep onto my cheeks as I stared at her incredulously. She sure didn't look like a sports person.

"That's a very nice thing of you to do…" I trailed off, not quite sure what else to say.

Bella's lips twisted into a smirk, "Yeah, well, I wanted to see if you are as good as people say you are."

I blinked, "What?"

"You're a very popular topic of conversation, Jasper." I shuddered at the way she caressed my name with her tinkling voice, "And apparently, you're quite the football player. And basketball, too, if I'm not mistaken."

I nodded, "Yeah…"

Bella's eyes sparked with familiarity, but somehow I couldn't figure where that stemmed from, "Baseball?"

Her dark orbs were alight with amusement, and I could only sit there and wonder where that came from. Instead of asking her what had her so light hearted, I said, "Yeah. Baseball too."

The brunette laughed, and the sound of it was like tinkling glass, "Maybe you could play with my family sometime. We're all big baseball fans."

"Really?" I lit up. "What's your favorite team?"

Bella's face turned even more comical, "Oh, no. We're more _players _than we are _watchers_. Though you can say different for Emmett and Edward. They both like to watch and play."

I suddenly remembered the muscular, curly haired man that had given me the bruise on my knuckles. He seemed more of a football player or a wrestler or something more physical than baseball, but then as I thought about it, he looked like one of those all-around athletes that could basically do anything.

But then…wouldn't that contradict with what he told me? About the injury that made him not able to play football? I furrowed my brow and thought hard about it. Maybe that injury didn't apply to baseball, but somehow that didn't sit well with me.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." I quickly supplied the answer she most likely wanted to hear. I knew she didn't want to be surprised any more today by my intuitive leaps. I sure as hell was surprised that I was having them. "We should probably get to class."

Bella nodded in agreement, and now she walked beside me, rather than just off to the side and behind me. It was nice, but I could practically feel her confusion in the air. The sinister feeling I kept being encountered with was gone for now. I knew that, in the pit of my stomach, that it wouldn't be gone for long. It seemed like I was always feeling like I was being watched lately, though I didn't know why.

Suddenly, being insane seemed a very simple solution to all the things that had been happening.

"Has anything weird happened to you lately?" Bella's voice, like the sound of church bells, stirred me from my thoughts.

I blinked, and looked at her. The expression she wore was fierce, and I cocked my head to the side, "No."

I lied straight to her face, and a part of me felt bad for it, but the other part was only interested in protecting her. After what Edward had said before, I was suddenly worried as to what _I _could possibly do to _her_, the woman who had saved me when I was but a child from a cougar. The woman who hadn't aged since. The woman whose skin was hard like a rock, cold like ice. The woman whose eyes changed colors, and though she gave me an explanation, I highly doubted she wore contacts for some reason.

She exhaled shakily and placed a hand on my shoulders in comfort, "You can tell me. Remember? If anything weird starts to happen - "

The weight of her icy hand felt odd. The coolness of her skin seeped through my shirt, my skin, and seemed to go deep into my bones, but with that touch also brought an electric sensation that sizzled throughout me along with the cold.

"Just remember you can tell me whatever's bothering you. Any time. I'll be here."

I reached up and took her hand with my own. The cold was even more profound on the sensitive skin of my fingertips, and now that I had a good feel of her hand, it was also hard like marble. She looked shocked as I stared into her coal black eyes, "I know." I said, the thickness of my accent particularly noticeable, "And, trust me, it's strange that you care so much when we barely know each other. But I deeply appreciate it. Everything, Bella."

She gulped, and I felt her freezing fingers tighten around my hand, inflicting more of the burn with them.

Though I told her that I didn't see how she cared so much when we barely knew each other, I felt the same way. There was an inexplicable attraction I had to her. Not just for her looks or due to the fact that I was one hundred percent positive that she was the woman who saved me. I felt drawn to her, like a moth to a flame.

She just nodded before smiling bitterly and saying, "And it's strange that you care so much about me when you hardly know me."

My heart stuttered in my chest.

She released my hand, and I felt suddenly saddened that she had. I missed her touch, however unnaturally cold and hard it had been, but the tingle it had brought on still remained in my blood.

She gave me a smile and walked ahead of me, her mahogany hair swinging around her lower back in soft waves, "Let's go to class, Jasper."

Again, the feeling of her saying my name spurred a deep reaction inside me. I felt a chill go up and down my spine, and the tingling feeling increased within my body.

"Yeah." I said, somewhat timidly as I followed her to class.

And, in the pit of my stomach, I felt like something important was about to go down.

I just didn't know _what_.

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_**End Chapter Eight.**_

_And here's the next chapter! I'm glad I got it done today. Whew. I was planning on getting this one done as soon as I could but I wasn't sure where it was going, but then everything planned itself out like it usually does. Haha. _

_Anyway, I'm not sure when I'm going to be able to update again. I start college this coming Monday. On the 17th__. Should be interesting. But I'm not sure I'll have time to update a lot. I hope I'll have time, because I have a lot of great ideas for this story and I can't wait to write them! (happy birthday dad, too, btw lol)._

_Let's see…thanks to everyone who has been reading and reviewing. I appreciate it very much and I am so glad that everyone likes the story so far! Things are about to kick up most definitely, so I hope y'all continue reading. Please review. It would be very nice! _

_Thanks again!_


	10. The Harbinger

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Twilight!_

_Thanks so much for your kind words and reviews and all the favorites and story adds and such. It means a lot to know that everyone is liking this story so far. Thanks so much!_

_Now, here's chapter nine. I hope y'all like this one!_

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**Long Road to Ruin  
****Chapter Nine: The Harbinger**

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**Jasper. **

"So, are you up for it?"

I sighed in the lunch line as it moved forward ever-so-slowly. I had yet to get to the food, and my stomach was rumbling in anticipation. Though the food was hardly gourmet here, anything would do, as long as it squelched my hunger. Tyler looked at me curiously, his eyebrows raised with anticipation as he gazed at me.

"Up for…?"

"Damn, Jasper!" Tyler exclaimed in fake exasperation, "I've only been mentioning it the past three days! Being around all the hot new people must've fried your average brain."

I laughed airily, but, humorously, I wondered if that was actually the case.

Lauren looked at me with barely hidden contempt. Her fishy eyes stared at me with some kind of…I really don't know how to describe it, honestly. I just knew that she wasn't happy about the fact that I had practically ripped her a new asshole for talking about Bella. Frankly, I really didn't care.

"Me, Lauren, Jess, Mike, and Angela are going to Port Angeles this weekend to see a movie and eat and stuff…you know. You up for it?"

Blinking a few times, I looked from Tyler to Lauren and back again.

"Uh, sure," I replied, "Who's car are we taking?"

"Angela's folks have a van," Tyler smiled wryly at that, "It'll be able to fit all of us, so no problems there."

I grinned, already excited by this new outing that I was going on with my friends. I couldn't remember the last time we had all gone out and done something like this, and I was already beginning to feel the adrenaline rush in me, even though we were just going to the movies. It wasn't like we were going rock climbing or anything, but this was exciting me just like it was a high octane activity. Anything to get out of the house, I supposed.

"You're easy to please."

I felt my muscles start to go rigid at the sound of the voice behind me. I saw Lauren's eyes narrow before I turned around. The blonde turned huffily and tugged Tyler along with her, but not before I saw my friend's eyebrows waggle suggestively.

Turning, I was yet again, met face-to-face with the awe-inspiring beauty that had plagued my mind ever since I first set my sights on her, "Hey, Bella."

She looked sheepish, and again, I would've thought she _should _be blushing, but…nothing. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I was right here."

"Oh, nah, don't worry bout it." I said, giving her a lazy grin, "I should be apologizing. I didn't even realize you were there."

"I guess I'm taking advantage of that supposed _stealth _you said I had this morning." Her eyes found mine and I felt my heart stop in my chest. How could just a pair of eyes render my senses useless? Even though they were darkening more and more it seemed, the dark onyx of them still had an affect on me.

I realized that it must not be the eyes, but the _person_.

I gave a soft chuckle at that, and a smile spread across her flawless features, "So…" I looked behind her, puzzled at the absence of her ever-present family, "Where's the rest of y'all?"

She blinked, embarrassed, and looked behind her, only to see some poor fool who was smitten with the brunette beauty in front of him. He stared at her as if he had never seen a woman before. I snickered at the sight of it, though I don't think she noticed, for she turned back around with a knowing smile, "They ate beforehand."

"Oh. That's odd. Y'all are always sitting together…"

"Yeah, well, sometimes change is good, ya know?"

I smiled, "I agree."

She also smiled, and once again, I was taken aback by the force of it all. It was almost as if I was looking into the sun, the gesture was so brilliant.

We got our food, and we were just leaving the line to head for a table when she touched my arm gently, her cold fingertips brushing against the skin of my bicep. "Do you mind if I sit with you?"

My heart started to beat even faster, so fast, in fact, that Coach Clapp would have to do something extra strenuous for any of his athletic activities to duplicate it. My eyes widened, somewhat surprised by her question, before I said, rather stupidly, "Seriously?"

She looked hurt for a moment, and I felt my heart tug at that, "If you don't want me to…"

"No!" I blurted out. Her eyes widened marginally for a moment before resuming their natural size, and a familiar smile spread across her features, "I mean," I was blushing now, my face so hot that I thought I might erupt into flames right there, "Yeah, I do want you to sit with me, I just wasn't expecting…yeah…" I ended with a rather awkward chuckle that I almost slapped myself for letting escape my lips.

"Well, then I think we should find a table." Bella said, her voice and expression teasing as she stepped ahead of me to take the lead. I felt my heart race as I followed her to an empty table, the one she usually shared with her family, and sat down across from her.

I gazed down at my plate, which consisted of a fried chicken breast and a generous dollop of mashed potatoes and gravy. My eyes surveyed the food hungrily, and I dug in without a second thought. I could hear Bella chuckling across from me, so I looked up, my hands still tearing the chicken apart.

"What?"

The smile never left Bella's face as she looked at me, "Nothing."

Huh. Strange, it was almost like she had never seen a starving person before.

Of course, maybe it was because I didn't have good table manners. Yes, like any other good southern boy I said "Yes, ma'am," and "No, sir," but when it came to eating…well, I was a stark opposite of my spoken manners.

I plopped a piece of greasy chicken in my mouth and chewed, closing my eyes and relishing the taste of food that had finally passed my lips. I then opened my lids once more and gazed at Bella, who was still looking at me like I was some foreign object.

"Something wrong?" I asked, cocking my head to the side, "You haven't touched your food, Bella."

She stiffened for a moment, before looking down at her own plate of food, which was pretty much a copy of what I had on my plate, except untouched. Running a hand through her full, mahogany hair, she met my eyes with an embarrassed stare, "I…well, I'm not that hungry right now."

I scoffed playfully, "Oh, bad table manners are a turn off, huh?"

Bella looked at me with a smile, "No, I actually thought it was kinda _cute_."

_Whoa! _My mind was racing with her words. _Cute? Bella thinks I'm __**cute**__?_

I felt a blush start to grace my cheeks, and I really wondered when I was ever the blushing type. I looked at her and felt my heart clog my throat, and my chest itself felt like it was going to explode with the intensity of all of the emotions that were running through my mind and filling every nerve ending.

"You'll catch flies if you keep your mouth hanging open like that," Bella pointed out, laughing.

I immediately clamped my mouth shut with an audible _snap_ and then inhaled through the clenched teeth, "Uh, right."

Bella laughed at that, and the sound of it was music in the dreary lunchroom air. I began to laugh along with her, and I found that it was easy, natural, like breathing to be around her. I was surprised at that sudden realization though, because I would think most people would feel inferior to her beauty, but there was just something about her that put me at ease.

"So you headed to Port Angeles tomorrow?"

I blinked, taken aback by her sudden forwardness. "Uh…"

"Sorry. I just have really good hearing."

I smiled and looked into her eerily black eyes. And, despite that eeriness, they intrigued me, as always.

"Y-Yeah," I stumbled over my words like a fool, "Me and my posse."

"Posse, huh?" She seemed amused by my choice of words, and a grinned cheekily at her. She seemed amused by that as well, and I let a chuckle escape my lips.

"Of course. The Whitlock Posse. Coolest cats in school, ya dig?" I put on a visage of cool and waggled my eyebrows slightly, dragging a lazy smile across my lips.

This had her giggling even more than she had before. She put a delicate, lily white hand in front of her plump lips and closed her eyes in mirth. The sound of it was so beautiful that it would put even the concertos of famous composers to shame. Not that I listened much to them, but I'm sure that would be the case if they played a tape of her laughing right after something by Mozart.

I hadn't noticed I had been staring at her until she averted her eyes, slightly embarrassed. How was it that I was so entranced with her shyness?

"You wanna come?" I ended up asking, wondering how Tyler and the others would react if Bella showed up at our little get-together. Well, at least if she did go, I wouldn't be stuck with Jessica the whole night, like I already knew I would be. Tyler and Lauren would be together, as would be Ben and Angela. Which left me and Jessica together, alone for pretty much the entire night.

If Bella were there, it would be much better, albeit more likely to turn into a catfight, but at least I wouldn't be the only one to witness Jessica's shameless attempts on getting me to sleep with her. I shuddered involuntarily and Bella looked at me quizzically, cocking her head to the side so the dingy lunchroom light caught her onyx eyes in the right way and they sparkled. I felt the breath catch in my chest.

"You okay?"

"Yeah," I said, this time without the stutter, thank goodness, "I'm good. Just got a chill."

Bella was on alert then, as if expecting this for a while, and I gave her a wondering look. I could almost see the hairs on her arms stand up with the tension that her shoulders now took on. Instead of asking her about it, I continued our former conversation, "D'ya wanna come, Bella?"

She snapped back to attention right there and looked at me. Her intense eyes went soft and kind, which seemed odd since they were so dark, like an endless abyss. "I'm sorry. I'll have to decline. I don't think Lauren likes me too much." She gave a slight laugh at that and picked at her uneaten food with her fork.

"I won't let her say anything bad about you." The tone set to my words was that of passion. The urge to protect was strong within me, and I wanted to do anything to keep her from harm, though I knew she could take care of herself. Something about the way she carried herself exuded confidence built up over the years, and I knew she was strong, though I hadn't known her long.

"Yeah, but…" Bella trailed off, clenching her bottom lip between her teeth. I felt a curl of desire swell in my stomach and swirl around and around at that simple action of hers. I swallowed compulsively and shifted in my seat.

"It's fine," I finally managed to get out after a few moments of somewhat awkward silence. Her bright eyes moved to meet mine and a smirk twisted her lips at what she saw - no doubt it was the look of utter _want _that was on my face right now. At that moment, it was all I could do to control my already unstable hormones. It was strange that that one little gesture made me want her like that. It was _sexy_.

I blinked several times, trying to get the image of me biting that same lip out of my head, and inhaled deeply, breathing in the sweet scent of her as I did so. That created an even more intense desire well up within me, but I tried to ignore it.

"You don't have to go if you don't want to." I told her kindly, trying to keep the tone of my voice casual.

"Ah, alright." Bella said, and she sounded a bit disappointed, but maybe I was just imagining things.

I then noticed that we were the only ones in the lunchroom. Everyone else had already moved on out to mingle outside with one another, leaving Bella alone with me. I felt my chest tighten as I scooped the last of my food into my mouth.

Bella watched me with interest, and for once I tried to avoid her gaze, worried that the sudden want would appear again. Though it was far from unpleasant, it was awkward and uncomfortable, and I didn't want her to feel like I wanted _that _from her.

When I rose from my seat a few minutes later, Bella followed suit. I looked down at her and was puzzled, "Are you feeling okay? You didn't eat a thing."

This caught her up short, for some reason, "Um…special diet."

"Well," I saw the next question I asked as the obvious one, "why get food anyway? You could bring your own."

Bella smiled ruefully, and that gesture made me feel like I was missing some kind of inside joke that was particularly hilarious, "They don't like that."

I chuckled softly and spoke my thoughts before even considering the effects of it, "_You _don't need a diet, anyway. You look perfect as it is."

I saw her eyes widen as she angled her head to get a better look at me. Her eyes were appreciative and kind. She smiled at me and the full force of it made me lose my breath. It was all I could do to not gasp for breath like a complete, utter moron in front of her. That smile jolted through my body like a million volts of electricity.

"Thank you, Jasper."

_Damn_, I loved the way she said my name.

She disposed of her untouched food in the trash bin and put her tray with the other dirty trays left there by the other students. I did the same, though I didn't have nearly as much food to get rid of as Bella did.

She sighed contentedly as she took her stance in front of me, and I couldn't help but notice that the position she took seemed protective, as if someone was out to get me just outside the door.

And, again, the sinister feeling swept over me like a sick tidal wave.

I didn't know why this kept happening to me - it was all a bit odd. More than a bit odd, actually. Really damn odd. Nausea nestled itself in my stomach and I felt the sudden urge to throw up everything I had just eaten. I took several deep breaths to steady myself and my suddenly rolling stomach.

"You okay?" Bella's voice shot through the cloud of nausea as I stepped out the door. "You don't look so hot."

"Ah, damn," I said playfully, wincing as my stomach churned yet again, "I was hoping you'd think the opposite."

She laughed at that, and I realized that I truly enjoyed doing that. Making her laugh was becoming a favorite pass time of mine.

The bell rang loud and clear for the next period of the day. For me, it was the first of two hours of P.E., to get us ready for our first football game. For Bella, I assumed she had study hall. All the other non-sports affiliated seniors had that class.

"Thank you for letting me eat lunch with you."

"Technically, you didn't eat, Bella." I chided playfully, "But no problem. It was my pleasure."

Bella smiled and again I felt like the air was cut off from my throat.

"I would like to do this again. Maybe some other time?"

Her eyes captivated me and I found myself not being able to look away as I answered. "S-Sure."

Her smile brightened, if that were possible.

"See you later."

"Yeah," I replied shakily, "See ya."

With that, I watched Bella's alluring form as she walked away.

* * *

**Bella.**

It _pained _me to leave his side.

I wasn't sure why, but the draw I felt to Jasper was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. Like everything revolved around him now. The connection between the two of us was undeniable, and I wondered if he felt the same electric jolt that I did when we were around each other, when my cold skin touched his, when our eyes met. I wondered if he felt those same emotions. A part of me knew it was better for him if he didn't, but another part was so foolishly selfish that I wanted him to want me. To be with me.

Strange how I would find this with someone I barely knew. Someone who I had saved from an attack all those years ago. It probably felt like a while to him, but a near-decade is as short as a month for a vampire. It all ran together, but I found myself thinking of him often as those years went by. What became of him? What was he doing? I had actually gone back to his house, only to find that they had moved.

And then, almost a decade later, here we are. Together. He remembers me and I him, though I'm sure it may not come up…

I shook my head slightly, feeling my hair brush across my stone-hard cheeks. It was foolish to want to damn him to this existence, as well as foolish to actually bring him into it.

But currently, the presence around us was making that increasingly difficult.

I wasn't sure exactly _who _it was, but I knew they didn't want anything _positive _to do with us. Especially Jasper, for some reason.

I didn't know why the vampire was following him, but…I didn't like it.

Just thinking about Jasper anywhere _near _one of the non-vegetarian vampires made me tense. I felt my muscles bunch and tighten together, ready to spring at nothing in particular.

I was in study hall, waiting to head to P.E. for seventh hour, and then to go home. My cheek was in my hand and I stared forward, looking at the back of Alice's spiky hair and giving a slight groan as she turned around. "Why the long face, Bella?"

"No reason." I replied swiftly, too swiftly, for Alice's thin brows narrowed and she looked cross with me.

"Sure." She said abruptly, "But I do know that you are going to be _very _interested in what you see next hour."

"What are you - ?"

The bell rang, interrupting whatever I had to say.

"You'll see, sweetie."

I felt my face contort in a grimace as I gathered my books and rose from my desk, following Alice's dancing form out of the door just before she linked hands with Edward. Rosalie and Emmett followed closely behind me and I heard Rose giggle at something Emmett said. I hadn't been paying much attention.

We walked to the gym in some silence, with the slight banter between Edward and Emmett the only thing to break it. Alice and Rosalie were talking about some kind of fashion product, while I kept to myself. All my thoughts were of Jasper, and of the thing Alice had brought up. Why would I be interested in P.E.? I was confused, and even my vampire brain couldn't comprehend what was going on.

Coach Clapp, the football coach, escorted us to the football field once we got to the gym. Apparently, he wasn't going to make us do anything as long as football season was afoot. We walked in silence, except for the various people talking about how hot some of the football players were. Most everyone mentioned Jasper, and I found myself becoming quite possessive of him, which was strange. A tinge of something I rarely felt twitched within me.

Jealousy.

Why was I jealous? I knew I was more beautiful than any one of these human girls. And I wasn't being cocky or overly confident about that, it was just the truth. And the way some of them looked at me proved it.

I suddenly figured it out.

Because they _knew _him for so long. They've known Jasper for a while now. Of course, they hadn't known him when he was little. He had moved here, apparently, if Edward telling me his past was any indication.

I knew next to nothing about him. All these girls, they knew him. They knew his quirks, his laugh, his jokes…and all I knew was basically that his name was Jasper Whitlock and I was completely obsessed with him.

Shaking my head, I looked over to Alice as we climbed the bleachers with our uncanny grace. That was where we were to sit while Coach Clapp ran over plays and whatnot with his players. Alice smiled at me mischievously, and I knitted my eyebrows in confusion. She jabbed a small, pale thumb in the direction of the field.

And I saw what she meant by "interested."

My perfect vision zoomed in on a very shirtless Jasper catching a pass made by Tyler and running with it down the field, very fast, even for a human. I saw every flex and bunch of his muscles move sinuously beneath the membrane of his skin. His chest was muscular, but skinny as well. His tall form raced down the field, dodging various people trying to tackle him. I noticed that all the people on Jasper's side were shirtless, but the ones opposing him had on shirts.

"Ah, shirts and skins." I heard Emmett murmur wistfully.

"We'll play our own version of that when we get home." Rosalie whispered playfully to him. I heard Alice giggle and her fingers tightened around Edward's in a silent agreement to try that out themselves.

My eyes roamed over Jasper's body as he ran a few more feet before he was tackled by one of the "shirts." It was obviously a friendly game, because the guy who tackled him didn't do it with all of his force.

I watched as he rose, still cradling the ball in the crook of his elbow. My eyes focused on the individual droplets of dew from the rain that clung to the skin of his back. I brought my eyes downward more to trace the trail of his spine down to where two small dimples were visible on his hips. His arms were strong, and the biceps and triceps were sculpted from weight lifting. His abs were clearly visible, and I felt a strange warmth pool in my stomach.

Alice giggled, interrupting my idolization of this human teenager. "You know not to doubt me."

"Yeah…but you could _warn me _next time."

I heard Rose snicker from behind me. I turned around to look up at her with playfully narrowed eyes.

"Ah, sweet virgin love." Emmett sighed grandly, leaning back and wrapping a muscular arm around Rosalie's perfect body. The beautiful blonde laughed as well, and the sound was beautiful, even for a vampire.

I glared at my "big brother" with my now-dark eyes and bit my lip. I felt like blushing, and I knew if I were human, then that would be the case. "Yeah, well, ah, sweet man whoring going on up there."

"Hey!" Emmett said, faux-insulted, "I'm only Rose's man whore!"

That caused the rest of my family to burst into laughter, as well as a few of the high school students around us, though they were several seats below us. We were seated at the very top of the bleachers, and apparently, the rest of our class was intimidated by us. As per usual.

At that moment, Jasper looked up into the bleachers, eyes searching, face curious. And I couldn't help but notice the droplets of water clinging to his toned muscles, as well as a few pieces of grass. His eyes were shooting around all the people in the bleachers until they moved to where my family and I were sitting.

And they stayed there.

My expert vision saw a smile cross his features, and my heart clenched with the sight of it. He raised a large, slender hand and waved at me once before running off to talk to Tyler, throwing him the ball beforehand.

Alice turned and smirked. Edward looked at me with a mixture of knowing and somewhat disapproval. He knew how much Jasper liked me, apparently, and the fact that I was enamored with him was plastered all over my face.

I ignored them, trying not to smile as I watched Jasper run again after Tyler threw the ball once more.

His muscles bunched and coiled and released as he ran. Strong legs propelled him forward and his unruly honey blonde hair blew around his face as he jumped to catch the pass. My eyes couldn't leave his form. Not even for a second. My hormones raged within me, long dormant from the complete disinterest I felt for every human boy besides the running teen.

If I were an actual human teenager, without immortality, I figured that Jasper would be the "death" of me.

But at least it would've be a pleasant one.

* * *

_**End Chapter Nine. **_

_Alright! This chapter is done! Seems like it took forever. But yeah, college. That's my excuse. Totally. But I really enjoyed writing this once I got a feel for where it was going and everything. This one was basically just a set-up chapter for what's gonna go down in the next couple of chapters. I'll keep you guessing but it is gonna be very interesting if I do say so myself! This chapter was also showing the growing attraction between Bella and Jasper, which I think needed to be illustrated. Haha. _

_Anyway, I really hope y'all enjoyed reading this! I would appreciate it very much if you left an opinion on how good/awesome/bad it was. Lol._

_Thanks for reading! _


	11. In the Blink of an Eye

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Twilight!_

_Thanks so much for your support! I'm so glad that all of y'all like this little fic of mine. Haha. It really is nice to see and read all of the reviews and favorites and everything. I'm so glad that everyone likes it! I appreciate it so much!_

_Alright! So here's the next chapter! I hope y'all like this one too!_

* * *

**Long Road to Ruin  
****Chapter Ten: In the Blink of an Eye**

* * *

**Bella.**

"Are you really going to follow Jasper?"

I turned my head slightly to look at Alice. She was perched on the side of my bed, running her fingers through my hair, wondering what to do with it. I was seated on the floor beneath the bed, groaning as her fingers worked against my scalp. Rosalie sat on the floor next to me, except the was leaning against the wall by the head of the bed, flipping through the channels on the television in my room.

"What?" I asked, raising my eyebrow in question.

"Alice is basically wondering if you are about to pull an Edward and follow him to Port Angeles today."

I heard the aforementioned bronze haired teen growl from downstairs and laughed.

"I think you should." Alice said, her eyes far away. I knew she had just seen a vision of something.

"I was planning on it, actually," I said, automatically looking at Rosalie, who snickered while twirling a lock of golden hair around her finger.

"Really now? Little Eddie must've gotten into your head." Rosalie scoffed playfully as she stopped flipping channels, landing on some kind of cooking show. Ironic.

I laughed slightly, my eyes moving to the window. It was another dreary day in Forks, unsurprisingly, and I sighed, closing my eyes as Alice's nimble fingers made another circuit through my hair.

"Do you know what time they're leaving?" Alice asked.

"I'll figure something out…" I trailed off, leaning forward. Alice's hands slipped from my hair.

"Yeah," Rosalie scoffed again, "She'll go Edward on him…_again_."

A hiss resonated from downstairs, causing all three of us to burst into chiming laughter.

* * *

**Jasper. **

The car ride over to Port Angeles was boring.

And awkward.

More awkward than boring, in my opinion.

I sat very uncomfortably between Jessica, who - in my humble opinion - could not have dressed skimpier if she tried, and Mike, who couldn't keep his eyes off of her. Jessica was constantly looking in my direction, batting her lashes, and making me feel like I was some kind of…I don't know. Something to be worshiped. Which is a very, _very _odd feeling to have, if anyone has ever before felt like that, they'd know what I was talking about. Angela and Ben sat in the next row of seats, ahead of us, and then Tyler was driving, with Lauren in the passenger seat.

The spacious appeal of Angela's van would not be wasted, if the closeness between Tyler and Lauren was any indication. I was just glad that I was in the back, even though it was with Jess, so I couldn't see the PDA going on up there.

At any rate, we arrived somewhat early, and saw the movie. It was a horror flick, which was the obvious choice, seeing as almost everyone had a date. Angela clung to Ben, and Lauren clung to Tyler. Whereas my situation was a bit different - Mike clung to Jessica and Jessica clung to me while I laughed at the stupid parts of the rather bad zombie movie.

The movie ended not a bit too early, and we walked out into the crisp, cool night air. The "night was still young" as Lauren put it, so we headed to the Port Angeles mall.

So we walked through the mall. Though it was small, it was still a _mall_, and they enjoyed themselves. Me? Well, I didn't see the need of it, though I did see a brand new football that looked like it was calling out for me to buy it.

I didn't, though. The damn thing was near bout one hundred bucks. So, I decided to pass it up, but cleverly and oh-so discreetly mention it to my mother for a Christmas gift.

We walked all through the mall, not particularly doing anything. Just waiting for the movie to start, I suppose.

If I thought it couldn't get any more awkward than it was, it also looked like we were coupled off.

Tyler and Lauren, walking ahead of everyone, her head on his shoulder and his hand in her back pocket.

Angela and Ben, holding hands and smiling at one another. I was grateful for their attempt to be somewhat secretive about their relationship. However Lauren and Tyler would talk about anything. Their sex life, kissing, and all the rest. It got tiring after a while, and most of the time, I really didn't care about listening to Tyler recall all of the details of his romps with Lauren.

Groaning silently to myself, I continued to walk alongside Jessica, who was babbling on about something. Her usually curly hair had been straightened and styled with some kind of product, most likely Lauren's doing. She wore an impossibly short blue jean skirt that had been cut-off, and a pair of brown leather boots. Her shirt was scoop necked and revealed the slightest hint of cleavage.

Mike - oh, poor, poor Mike - was looking at Jessica like she was the solution to all of his problems, listening to every word she said like it was some kind of holy mantra. But all of Jessica's attention was on me. Sad, since my mind was currently on other matters.

Bella, of course, and the many, _many _questions I had for her.

I didn't know when to ask them, of course. I didn't want to do it too soon - I hadn't known her long. But a part of me wanted answers, and wanted them now.

Her cold, pale-as-a-sheet skin. Her constantly changing eye color. The fact that her skin was _hard _like marble. Not like the hand that was currently in mine…

Wait, when did _that _happen?!

I looked over to Jessica, who had somehow managed to sneakily slip her hand into mine. She looked positively ecstatic, like she had accomplished something she had been wanting to do for a while. I suddenly felt a wave of sadness overcome me. I guessed I hadn't realized just how much Jess liked me, but…I knew I would never feel the same way. It just…didn't feel right to me.

I moved my hand out of hers in a casual motion, trying not to shun her too bad, but to get my point across. I ran it through my hair just to give her an unspoken reason as to why I stopped holding her hand. Even with that, she looked like I had just shot her puppy.

Damn…

I felt the guilt overcome me, and I knew I shouldn't lead her on, but I found myself saying, "Wanna go get something to eat while they walk around? I'm getting kinda tired of this…"

"Sure!" Jessica said, and the look on her face told me I had just made a mistake. She looked so happy. Yeah, great. I ended up leading her on anyway.

"Mike," I said, trying to save face and to make it not look like a date, "come with us."

"Sure!" He chirped as he walked alongside us. It was the exact same tone that Jessica had just used with me, but it held a hint of gratitude. He was thankful I had thought of him in this moment. He obviously didn't like being one of the only single people here. Especially not around a group that consisted of dating couples.

Jessica sighed exasperatedly, but went along with it. I could tell that she wanted it to be just alone time with me and her, but that wasn't going to be the case if I could help it.

I told Tyler and the others what we were doing and they nodded their approval. We headed off to the food court with our stomachs growling.

"Ew," Jessica said in disinterest, "I don't really like anything here."

Jeez, some people could be so picky. Who doesn't like _McDonald's_?

"Me either." Mike said, though I could see he was only saying that for Jessica's benefit.

"All right…" I trailed off, looking from the brunette to the blonde with slight unease. "There are some restaurants across the street from here. We could go to one of them - "

"Olive Garden!" Jessica chimed and the moment she did so, I saw Mike blanch. He must not like Italian food, but he didn't show it after that one moment of weakness.

"Yeah, that's good for me!" Mike said in a tone of happiness that I could automatically decipher as fake.

"Jasper?" She asked in a faintly innocent voice.

"Yeah, sure." I replied, looking from her to Mike once again before we walked to the door that led out of the mall. I called Tyler to tell him where we would be and he said they'd meet up with us in about an hour. I relayed the information to Jess and Mike before I opened the door to the mall.

The crisp, nighttime breeze washed over my skin like a soothing blanket. I inhaled the breeze and, though it was slightly different than the mossy, wet feel of the air in Forks, it was refreshing all the same. I felt a smile grace my lips as I walked, my shoes slightly pattering against the pavement.

We walked slowly, savoring the moonlight that beamed down from above, and the fresh feel of the air on our skin in comparison to the stuffy, people-filled atmosphere of the mall. Strolling in the night air, I suddenly got a feeling of hatred directed right at me.

It was so powerful that it almost made me fall over. I didn't know what was going on, but the feeling of utter and complete _unease _that washed over me was so strong that I couldn't think for a moment. I was absorbed with the feelings that flew through me like I was a thin sheet of paper.

Anger, disease, hatred, greed - they all flew over me like they had wings. Some stuck more than others. Some were there and then gone the next.

Greed suddenly was the strongest. I didn't know why this was happening or what was going on, but the greed was taking over the anger as if it had suddenly gotten more precedence over the latter.

What the hell was going on with me?

I knew I wasn't feeling these emotions, but they were within me, as if I were feeling them. It was strange, foreign. Not since I felt the warmth of Bella's smile and the accompanying happiness with it or the strange sensation of being watched with sinister intent had a felt something as strong as this.

I didn't like it.

Not one bit.

I walked still, trying not to let Jessica and Mike know what was going on. How could I possibly let them in on it when I knew they'd think I was crazy? Stuff like this didn't just _happen_. Practically _feeling _other people's _emotions _wasn't something that happened in every day life, especially not to people who considered themselves sane.

But maybe I had been walking the line between sane and insanity for a long time…

No, I couldn't think of that now. Not when the greed was bubbling stronger and stronger, taking over everything. Then there was a violent feeling. A very violent outburst that struck me in the gut like a bullet to the chest.

We had somehow wandered into an alley - a "shortcut," I believe Mike had called it before. I hadn't noticed how dark it was until we were at the halfway point. My mind was consumed with the emotions around me, so I also didn't realize how utterly _moronic _Mike's idea was.

I also didn't see the two men waiting for us at the end of the alley.

Just as I noticed them, a feeling of raw and unadulterated greed and anger and _lust _- for Jessica, I assumed, and those emotions scared me more than the others. I didn't want her getting hurt, so I turned to Mike and said with a voice thick with emotion, "Hey. Take Jess and get outta here."

"What? But, dude, we were going to Olive - "

"Just _shut up _and do what I say, Mike!" I hissed through clenched teeth. "Don't you see?" I minutely nudged my head in the direction, where the two guys - rather large guys, I could see now that we were getting steadily closer - were standing.

Mike seemed to take notice at that time, and a strange hardness came into his eyes, causing them to look like sapphires rather than the liquid baby blue I was used to, "Oh." He bit his lip and looked over to Jessica, who was smiling to herself and gazing up at the moon, totally oblivious. "I see. But what about you?"

"I can handle it." I said with a voice full of conviction. Well, at least as much as I could muster at that time. I had to be convincing in order to get Mike to take Jessica and leave. I knew I had a better chance at surviving a fight with them than either of them did.

"But, Jazz…"

"Just _hurry_!" I commanded.

"Hey, what's wrong - " Jessica started, but was cut off when Mike's hand sealed over her wrist and yanked. Hard. "Ow!"

"Come on. We gotta go." Mike said as lightly as he could, "This is the wrong way. Jasper is gonna go to the bookstore on the other side, though. He'll meet us at the restaurant."

"Oh…" Jessica said, "Okay. Well, be careful, Jazz."

"I will." _If I get out of this. _A bitter voice inside me lashed out against my stupid hero-complex.

Then, they were gone. Just like that. An enormous weight felt as if it had been lifted from my shoulders. They'd be safe. They'd be okay. I just needed to get myself out of this situation.

I felt disappointment surge over me. They were dismayed that the two of them had gotten away, but they saw me and I felt confidence go through them and into me. They knew they could take me. They knew it and planned on doing so.

I had just felt that emotion when I felt something cold press into my back.

I stood, stock still, every joint in my body locked tight. The muscles of my legs flexed and the adrenaline pumped through my body like the undercurrent of a powerful river. My breath was sucked in through clenched teeth as a gruff voice grunted, "Give me all your money, pretty boy."

A third? Oh, that's great. He must've gone around and came through one of the side passages in the alley. I thought I could take the two of them, but a third? And he also had a gun? Okay, I was officially and royally screwed.

I heard the footsteps of the two behemoths ahead of me start in my direction. How wonderful. By the sound of their footfalls, I could hear steel-toed boots. What the hell were they, anyway? Some kind of gang?

The guy behind me grabbed a fistful of my hair and yanked back so my neck wrenched itself backwards. "Didn't you hear me, punk?"

I chuckled morbidly as I tried to gather my calm. I felt it surge through me, filling my body and relaxing my muscles. I tried to clear my head, to think of a way out of this, but nothing came to me. The two other guys were slowly making their approach still, and I really had no other options…

The guy pushed the muzzle of his gun in my spine and I felt an slight spear of pain shoot through me. "You think I'm joking, asshole? This is a _real _gun, and it can _really _kill your happy ass."

_So eloquent…_ I thought sarcastically and almost said aloud, but I figured that wouldn't be the wisest idea if I wanted to get out of this alive.

The other two guys had finally made their way to me and walked up on us. Wow, they were so much bigger than me. Almost as big as Emmett…

After I thought of the big, brawny Cullen, my thoughts immediately drifted to Bella. Thank God she hadn't come. I wouldn't want to subject her to this. Just the thought of her being the one in danger instead of me sent a shiver of nervous nausea throughout my body.

I was so glad she wasn't here…

"Hey! Jasper!" A tinkling, melodic voice pierced the night air, taking the pressure off of me and onto whoever had said those two words, though I knew exactly who it was based on voice alone.

I hadn't realized I had my eyes clenched shut until I opened them at the sound of her voice. At the moment, I thought I was hallucinating things. Like, how some people say at the moment someone dies, they have their greatest wish fulfilled. I just didn't realize my greatest wish was to see Bella again before I died.

But there she was.

And I was certain she wasn't an illusion.

Why? Because all three guys had their eyes on her as soon as her voice sounded through the silent space. And because her eyes were locked with mine and the feeling of electricity was so real that I knew she wasn't imaginary.

"Bella…" I mumbled as the guy with the gun let go of my hair and sauntered forward to the brunette who was standing there with a raging look in her eyes. I had never seen that look on her face before, and, frankly, I wasn't prepared for it. The very glimpse of an anger so pure, so unfiltered, on her face was shocking. And I felt her very rage _inside _my body as well. Like I had felt the thugs' emotions before, I was feeling hers now…

"_Damn_, we got lucky, boys!" The man with the gun shouted in a voice that made my skin prickle with dislike. "Look at her! Fuckin' supermodel!"

I felt my own rage bubble within me. I growled, "Don't touch her."

"Oh, your little girlfriend?" One of the other two said, smirking, "That makes it all the more fun."

They began to walk forward, loping like slow, fat lions ready to kill the gazelle.

"Hey!" I sped up my walking. I grabbed one guy by his collar - one of the larger ones - and punched his cheek, "Don't you dare touch her!" He was down like a sack of bricks, but only for about a second.

"Jasper!" I heard Bella shout, but the sound of my name was cut off by a loud popping sound that was so close to my head, I thought a firecracker had exploded right then and there. I knew in a split-second that the guy with the gun had fired, but there was an odd sound too. As if the bullet had came into contact with a steel wall and bounced off. The shot had been close as well. It _should have hit me_ but I hadn't felt any pain…

But there were cold arms around me.

"Bella?"

Her eyes locked on mine, fierce and ready. My mind was muddled. How the hell had she gotten to me so fast? She was halfway across the alley when the shot was fired, I was certain. The man with the gun looked in awe as well.

"What the hell!"

Bella turned, her head snapping with a lightning fast force, and her brown locks were around my face. I could smell the sweet scent that was naturally hers and felt suddenly intoxicated by it, despite our situation.

She looked over at the threats to us and…_snarled_.

I felt a breeze and she was gone. Her strong arms were no longer wrapped around my body, but she was in front of the guy with the gun now. He fired again, at her now, and the sight of it made my heart leap around hyperactively in my chest, frightened and almost stopping at the sight of her in danger.

"Bella!" I found myself shouting in terror as the sound of the shot rang in my ears. But it was met by the same sound of steel as before. Then there was a slight _ting _as something fell to the pavement. This happened two more times before the gunman growled and said, "What the…"

There was a sickening _snap_ and then a horrified scream.

I stood, shocked and bewildered as I saw the gunman's arm. It was most definitely broken, the bone was protruding from his forearm and blood ran red down the length of it and splattered to the pavement.

"Oh…my…" I mumbled with wide eyes.

The guy fell over, blacked out from the pain, I supposed, and she moved over to the other two with a sinuous gate to her walk. The grace of her had them confused as well as entranced, and they seemed to forget about the man she had just incapacitated.

"Boys…" She said, and her voice was extremely out of character for the Bella I knew. It was a sound that probably had broken most boys hearts. A purring, caressing sound that would be associated with someone like Rosalie, most likely, but Bella also pulled it off to perfection. Her eyes were smoldering topaz as she sauntered forward, but behind those beautiful eyes raged an anger that was hardly contained. It seemed to radiate off of her, and the intensity of it felt like it singed my skin.

"M-Miss…I, um, we're," One of the guys was stumbling over his words, and the other was backing up slowly, as if he thought he could run fast enough to get away from her. Apparently, despite the fact that she was a beautiful girl, it unnerved them that she had just broken their buddy's arm as if it were a puny twig.

"What? About to rob and possibly murder my friend?" Bella snapped, her voice sharp like a knife through butter, "Oh, and you're lucky that your little friend missed me when he tried to murder me as well."

Miss? What? No, those bullets hit Bella directly and practically bounced off. What was she trying to do? I was officially confused.

My mind was whirling when she stepped forward and gently tapped one of the big guys on the head. That's it. Just a small tap with her index finger. He was down like a sack of bricks. Then, moving so quickly that I couldn't even hope to keep up, she shot around to the other one who was running away, appearing directly in front of him. She did the same thing to him and he was unconscious in less than a second.

I stood where I was, staring in awe at her.

She was in front of me before I had time to blink.

"Are you alright?" She asked quickly, concernedly.

I looked at her, barely able to form words.

_Who is she? __**What **__is she? _Was the chorus of words chanting in my head.

She obviously wasn't human. No human could ever hope or dream to move that fast. Let alone break a man's arm just by snapping it as if it were a piece of licorice. But how could she not be human? What other things were there?

"Jasper…" She said my name, caressing it with her soft voice. It was a symphony in my ears. A welcome, sweet sound all things considered… But I still wondered what was going on, and even the voice of an angel couldn't soothe my swirling thoughts.

I still hadn't responded and then I found her arms around me like a cold, steel cage. They weren't crushing or powerful around me like they had been to the three unconscious troublemakers before us. They were comforting and, dare I say, loving around my stiff form. I relaxed into her rock hard embrace and wrapped my arms around her thin waist, enjoying this moment of contact a bit too much.

Despite her hard frame, she relaxed as soon as I returned the embrace. She melted into my arms, and I couldn't help but feel that we fit together perfectly. An odd thought at the time, but that was probably the only thing that made sense in my mind at that point. She nuzzled her head against my neck and breathed out. Her scent - the sweet aroma that was always on her, her own fragrance - billowed around me like a fog and I found myself intoxicated by it.

"Please don't be afraid of me, Jasper." She muttered quietly, her voice vulnerable.

I hugged as tightly as I could, so tight that my arms started to strain against her marble like body. Strange…

I pressed my face into her hair and said, "I'm not afraid," I told her, "I could never be afraid of you, Bella."

She sighed. It was a wistful but yet almost disbelieving sound. Like she couldn't believe that I couldn't be afraid of her. But the truth was that up until a few seconds ago, I couldn't believe that anyone would be afraid of her. I was scared to death for her when she had showed up, but when she had handled herself against those thugs…

I cleared my head of those images and focused on one thing that I knew had to be answered.

Reluctantly, I parted from her. I moved my hands from her waist to her shoulders and peered down into those liquid topaz orbs - the ones that brought back a wave of nostalgia from days when I was young. When she had saved me from that wild animal when I was little.

"I'm not afraid of you," I repeated confidently, knowing that she was going to believe me no matter what, though I wasn't sure how or why. I just knew. "I just want some answers."

She cocked her head to the side for a moment and looked at me quizzically. But then it seemed like it clicked within her and she knew exactly what I was talking about. "Oh…right. _That_."

It was almost like she knew I was going to ask her about it. Yet another strange thing to happen today, but not nearly as strange as the recent events, so I let it slide for the time being.

"You saved me. When I was little, you saved me. And you haven't changed since." I started, looking at her in the eyes. Nope, not a hair out of place, not a pound of fat on her body. Everything was the exact same as it was back then. "I haven't been able to get you out of my mind since then…and I want answers, Bella. I would appreciate if you gave them to me. _The truth_."

Bella looked at me for a moment with an expression on her face that I couldn't quite figure out - it looked to be a mixture of quiet contemplation and a downright _pained _look on her face, as if she hoped to never have to get on this subject with me. But then her features brightened somewhat and she took my hand. The coldness shocked me once more, though I knew I should've been used to it by now.

"Okay then." She said in a light voice.

"What?"

"Come with me. You want answers, I'm gonna give them to you."

With that, she led me out of the alleyway.

* * *

_**End Chapter Ten.**_

_Wow! This chapter was very fun to write! Haha. Finally something action-like happened! And something to move the plot along. Yep, yep! And this was updated rather quickly, so I feel very accomplished! Haha._

_I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. It really was a blast to write. XD. I hope y'all would review with feedback! Thanks so much for reading and I really do appreciate all the response I've gotten for this so far. It's been so supportive and I am really grateful!_

_Thanks again!_


	12. If Only You Knew

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Twilight!_

_Thanks so much for your kind reviews! I appreciate every bit of feedback that I get and I'm so glad that so many people like this fic. Almost to 200 reviews! I can't believe it! Haha._

_And a random bit of info - I really find that I like reading in the ½ format of the page. It's up there. Just click on it and…yeah. I dunno, I just like reading fics that way for some reason. Maybe y'all will like it too. Haha. _

_Anyway, here's chapter eleven! I hope you like this one!_

* * *

**Long Road to Ruin  
****Chapter Eleven: If Only You Knew**

* * *

**Jasper.**

I didn't know what to think as Bella towed me along, her pale, bony fingers clasping against my wrist. The cold that emitted from her was almost painful, like freezer burn, but I didn't mind it. I actually welcomed it. Anything that would allow me to touch her, despite the pain, would be fine with me.

She tugged me along, like a mother making a child go forward.

We arrived at a restaurant a few minutes later, the Olive Garden that I had tried to drag Mike and Jessica to. It was somehow ironic. Bella looked at me with her smoldering eyes and smiled, "This okay?"

"You're…taking me to eat?"

Bella looked at me, her eyes excited, yet wondering. "Yes. That's where you were going anyway, so why not?"

"So it's like a date?" I cheekily asked, hoping that she would get the joking tone in my voice.

The brunette beauty smirked and said, "Maybe."

I felt my heart do a small somersault as she walked into the Olive Garden. I greedily watched her walk away, trying to be nonchalant about it, but coming off as a lovesick puppy longing after its master.

I was so damn pathetic.

The waitress met us as soon as we got in the door and gave us an overtly bright grin - one that I found slightly creepy - and showed us to our table.

It was one in the back, away from everyone else. I idly wondered if we had been placed there due to our appearance. I was wearing a pair of rather baggy jeans that hung off my slender hips and a band t-shirt. Not necessarily the best items of clothing to make the restaurant to look good to other people. Bella, however, looked impeccable in a crème colored blouse and a pair of dark jeans. Not a drop of blood adorned her clothes, and I wondered how that was avoided.

We sat down at a table. Being the good Southern gentlemen I am, I pulled Bella's chair out for her to sit in and walked over to my end of the table. I sat down and then picked up the menu, my stomach grumbling at my neglect for it.

I looked up, focusing my eyes to look at her impossibly perfect features as I quirked a brow, "Aren't you going to eat?"

Bella shook her head, a strand of brown hair falling in front of her face as she did so. "Special diet, remember?"

Oh.

Right.

I cleared my throat with uneasiness as I read over the items listed on the menu.

"Anything to drink?" The waitress suddenly appeared out of no where. I almost jumped. Bella laughed at my expression and looked at the pretty blonde who was eyeing me.

"Uh, yeah," I said, the twang in my voice apparent, "Dr. Pepper, please."

"And you, miss?" She said, and even I could hear the edge of jealousy to her voice.

"The same." Bella said, her eyes never leaving mine.

I felt myself grow flustered and I looked down at my menu. "Can I go ahead and order as well?"

"Of course, honey," The waitress said with a voice that I found increasingly annoying and nasal.

"I'll have the shrimp alfredo…" I said, subconsciously licking my lips as my stomach rumbled yet again.

"Alright. And for you?" She turned reluctantly to Bella. And the animosity in her gaze was enough to make me want to hit a woman for the first time in my life.

Okay, maybe not the first time. Lauren had earned that train of thought from me one too many times to count, but I had never acted on it. A true man never raises a hand against a woman, is what I've always believed.

"Nothing for me, thanks." Bella said. Her gaze was still on me. I wondered what I must have looked like, for her eyes were amused and kind at the same time.

"I'll be back with the drinks."

With that, the blonde waitress was gone, leaving me and Bella alone.

"What was that about?" She finally said, her eyes wondering and curious all at the same time.

"What do you mean?" I replied, looking at her with a quirked brow.

"You glaring daggers at that poor woman the whole time." Bella's eyes were light and carefree as she looked into my own chocolate brown ones, "It was quite interesting. Very intimidating, but apparently some people can't be swayed in their advances by just a look."

I was? I hadn't even realized that I was directing a glare at the waitress. Hm. Strange.

Strange, but not surprising in the least. I felt a very dominant urge to protect Bella. No matter what, I wanted to protect her, though her performance earlier tonight was proof that she didn't need or want my protection. She was very capable of defending herself on her own. A part of me liked that, but another part was disappointed. Disappointed because I wanted to be the one to protect her. I guess it was that Southern in me coming out again. Wanting to protect the damsel in distress.

One thing I knew, Bella, however fragile she may look, was definitely not a damsel in distress. Not after the ass whooping she gave those thugs in the alley. I felt a disturbed shiver roll down my spine as I recalled the incident. My eyes focused away from hers for a moment - I realized I had been staring at her like she was the last person alive - and I looked around the place.

Classical music drifted around the place. Not my cup of tea, per say, but it was pretty, I had to admit that at least. The whole place smelled lightly of garlic and wine. It was a very atmospheric place, the lights dimmed and subtly lighting the richly painted walls and mahogany wood tables.

I inhaled deeply, relishing in the scent of cooking food.

"Smell good?" Bella asked innocently, maybe trying to get me off the subject of why we were really here, maybe not. I never could tell.

"Yeah. I'm starvin'." I told her with a light hearted gaze.

She grinned at me and the breathtaking nature of it made me feel like I had been punched in the gut.

"I just ate." Bella said, her light colored eyes teasing me.

"Really?" I asked, wondering about the inflections in her voice, "What?"

She was feeling bold, I could tell, "Deer."

I could tell this was meant to shock me, but I felt nothing other than my stomach growling again. "Really? You don't look like a deer kind of gal. Me? I _love _some deer sausage. Mm…"

She blinked, confused, and realized that I hadn't gotten whatever she was trying to imply to me. I guessed she thought I would think that eating deer would be weird, but I actually enjoyed it.

She looked a bit downtrodden and unsure. I wondered what that was about and I glanced at her slightly, through wondering eyes, "Are you alright?"

"Yes," Bella said, her tinkling voice soft and ringing in melodic harmony with the classical music, "I just wish I had a better way of telling you…"

"How you're superwoman?" I joked; Bella smiled but the extent of it didn't reach her eyes. I felt bad at not being able to make her smile with all her might, and I also felt bad for making a joke of something that was clearly a big issue with her. So I apologized, "I'm sorry."

"No," Bella said, her eyes warm now, "I appreciate the attempt at trying to make this a light situation when it is anything but."

"What do you mean?"

A flash of images pervaded my thoughts.

The day I had been saved by a hungry cougar. By Bella.

All the days I spent dreaming, questioning my sanity. Because of Bella.

The day I was reunited with Bella, not looking a day over the age I had first met her at.

Tonight, in the alley. The sharp snap of bone as Bella broke the thug's arm. The longing look in her eyes as she watched the blood flow around him. Her speed, the way her footsteps were perfectly in sync with every graceful, fluid movement.

And the fact that she had been shot - _several times_, my thoughts shouted at me - and had survived. The bullets had been reflected off of her as if they were small balls of paper, flattening in the process.

She was alive.

Alive as _what_? I wasn't sure. I wasn't sure that anyone could be sure if they had seen the things I had become witness to in the small expanse of my life.

"You understand." Bella said, more a statement than a question. She saw the recognition in my eyes, the realization on my face, and the utter confusion of my mind.

"It is…complicated." I said, meeting her gaze with my own. Liquid topaz orbs met my stare and I felt a strange fluttering deep within the area of my chest, resonating, reverberating every feeling I had developed so far for this woman.

"You have no idea."

I laughed at that, but it was a slight chuckle, for I realized how serious the atmosphere had become. Tension was binding at us like a straightjacket, and I wondered what was going to happen next.

I didn't have time to ponder anything more, for a glass of Dr. Pepper and my shrimp alfredo was sitting in front of me the next second. I wondered idly where the usual salad they brought out was, but didn't complain. I wasn't a big salad person anyway, and besides, the sooner that waitress was gone again, the better.

I twirled my fork in the food, looping it around the delicate looking pasta, and brought it to my mouth. But a certain sight made me blush as I chewed.

Bella was watching me eat.

I blinked and forced whatever I could get down before reaching to my drink and gulping it down in several large swallows. I felt like a hawk was watching me, for some odd reason. Predatory and somewhat protecting in manner.

"Good?"

I grabbed a shrimp with my hand and popped it in my mouth. I nodded while I had my mouth full before saying, "Yep."

"That's good. I'll pay for it."

"No way!" I protested, looking at her with a confused gaze. "There's no way I'm letting you pay for my food on our first…er, uh…"

"Date?" She provided, her eyes smiling.

"If you say so." I replied, grinning toothily at her.

Bella laughed slightly and reached up, tracing the rim of her glass with her slender, pale index finger. She looked up at me, then her eyes traveled to my glass, which was empty, only the melting pieces of ice left within it. She looked up, a knowing smile crossing her lips and her finger moved slowly down the glass.

"Need a refill?" She said, and with that her finger - just the tip of her index finger - pushed against the side of the glass and it was sliding quickly towards me. It was as if she had grabbed it and flung it towards me, but all she used was her index finger. I caught it before it could go sliding off of the table. But I was still shocked. I'm sure people could do that…stronger, more muscular people, but Bella really…

I don't know what it was about that gesture, the fact that it was really cool or the fact that it should've at least hurt her finger in the process.

I picked up the glass and heard a slight crunching sound. Turning the glass around in my hands, I saw the crack marks and a slight hole the shape of the tip of her finger marring the thick, expensive glass.

I looked at her incredulously and she grinned mischievously, "I guess I don't know my own strength."

"T-Tell me about it." I stuttered like a fool.

"Oh, I don't think you'd want to know about that, Jasper." Her tinkling voice wrapped around my name like a blanket, soft and comforting. The very sound of it caused the skin to prickle on my arms and neck, and a chill to go down my spine.

"I do." I said, challenging her. "Isn't that why you brought me here in the first place? To get answers?"

Her eyes took on a slightly saddened look. Like she had hoped I would forget what she said in the alley. She leaned forward, her eyes fierce and her voice low, "I can't tell you outright, Jasper."

I gulped as I leaned forward unconsciously. Her eyes drew me in, her voice hypnotized me, her scent made me want to drink her in…

"It's dangerous. The world I live in is filled with things that a human - " She cut herself off and looked away, "That _you _would be hard-pressed to run away screaming."

Human? Run away screaming? What was she talking about?

"I can take it." I said confidently, arrogantly. This caused Bella's eyes to become hard, like stones, as she stared at me.

"No." She almost snarled. "What lives in my world is far more frightening than those thugs in the alley. More dangerous. More _deadly_. You wouldn't understand the danger you've put yourself in by just being near me like this…"

I didn't dare make a pig-headed comment this time. Bella was serious, and I felt my heartbeat increase, wondering what exactly she was trying to tell me. I think I had it established that she was not the typical girl. I knew that much at least.

But what exactly was going on with Bella Cullen's life that was so dangerous?

"I tried…" Bella started, her voice barely a whisper. I had to listen intently to hear it. "I tried my best to stay away from you…but I couldn't. I didn't want to bring you into my world, but…I just couldn't keep away. Like a moth to a flame, I guess you could say."

I blinked, confused at her words.

"I _care _about you, Jasper." Again, the chills that resulted from her saying my name threatened to overwhelm me. "I don't want any harm to befall you, but if I stay near you like this then that is almost guaranteed."

I felt my heart skip several beats. Bella…leave me alone? Why would she? She couldn't… I was so pathetically attached to her that the very thought of her leaving was painful; I hated to even think about it, even though the thought only fleetingly crossed my mind.

"I don't want anything to hurt you, but I can't stay away. It's a product of my own selfishness if you get hurt… So I will try to protect you the best I can."

I felt my eyebrows knit together in confusion. "Bella," I still relished the sound of her name on my tongue, "I don't understand."

"You're not supposed to, at first," She said, her eyes taking on a slight hurt and longing at the same time, "I expect you to figure it out."

The confusion was ever-present at the forefront of my mind, "Figure what out?"

The silence that came over us was almost palpable. Then, she spoke once more, "You're intelligent, Jasper. I may not know many things about you, but I know that you are smart." She paused for a second, as if considering her words, how to word her thoughts, "You can easily figure out that something isn't…_right _about me."

No, no. Everything's _right _about you, Bella. I just don't understand why you are so damn perfect.

I didn't say that, of course.

She continued, "Consider everything you know about me. The things you have observed. In the past and what has happened recently. Consider that and _think about what I am_."

"You're Bella." I said simply.

This seemed to touch her, her eyes becoming soft and almost liquid in their appearance. A smile raised the corners of her plump lips and I felt the sudden urge to lean over and press mine against hers. I knew that wouldn't be the best thing, however. The urge didn't leave me, though.

The smile brightened as she reached over and put her hand on mine. The cold seeped through my skin, sank into my bones, and I shivered. She rubbed her fingers across the expanse of the top of my hand and it was enough to make me want her all the more.

"And you're Jasper." She replied after a while, her eyes boring holes into me. I felt my heart start to splutter around inside my chest and felt like a huge dork for having that happen. The very presence of this woman was enough to drive me crazy.

"And we're very different." She finished, her lips quirking in a sadly sweet smile. For the first time, her tinkling voice cracked and the sound of it was like shattering glass, but painfully beautiful as well. I could feel her despair. It was as if it were funneled into me, writhing inside me like some kind of monster. I didn't like it. The very feeling of her sadness at our predicament was enough to make me want to start to cry. The emotions were that intense. I felt them in the air, like her emotions were my own.

Her words - _And we're very different _- were so sad and self-loathing that I don't think I've heard anything else like it in the very few years of my life. It was enough to send chills down my spine and make me gulp heavily, like I was swallowing the nasty medicine that Mom used to give me when I was little.

We sat there for a while. Suddenly, I wasn't very hungry. My pasta went uneaten and grew cold as the minutes turned into an hour, and then an hour into an hour and a half. Her hand never left mine, and I found comfort in that. She stared into my eyes, and I did the same, trying to find something in that gaze that would explain to me what she was. If she wasn't human - and I was growing more and more certain that she wasn't - then what _was_ she?

"If I guess what you are…will you tell me the truth? If I guess correctly, then will you tell me if I'm right?"

Bella was stunned at my sudden statements, and her eyes still didn't leave my face, "Of course. Do you have an idea?"

I shook my head, "Not a clue. But at least I'll know you'll be truthful with me if I get it right." I smiled in her direction, and felt her emotions ease up. The action of that immediately made my heart feel lighter, as if a lead weight had been lifted from my chest.

Bella smiled and looked at the food that had gone abandoned, "I see you're not going to eat any more. Do you want to head home?"

"Sure." I said simply, rising from my seat. Bella's hand was taken from atop my own and I felt a tingling where my skin had started to get the feeling back. It was like I had stuck my hand in a pile of snow for an hour.

We walked toward the door, after I had left whatever money I had in my pockets beside the checkbook. Apparently, I hadn't noticed that the waitress had came back and deposited that on the table. I was too absorbed in Bella's gaze to notice.

As soon as we were out of the doors, I saw them.

"Jazz! Ohmigod!" Jessica's voice was the first to reach my ears. I looked to my left and saw Bella's features calm and smooth, like a mask, but under the surface I could feel her irritation.

"Jazzy!" Tyler's voice was loud and boisterous as he stepped ahead of Jessica, leaving Lauren behind and walking up to him, "You're alive. Thank God." His face was flustered and I could also feel his anxiety lifting from his form. He had truly been worried about me. Bella looked up at me with a slight grin on her features as Tyler continued his statements, "Mike and Jess came back and told us about what happened, and we went to the alley and there was all this blood…we didn't know who it came from. You and the guys that were there were no where to be found and I just thought…"

"I'm fine," I said, reassuring him and giving Bella a knowing look. "No scratches. Not a thing missing. I'm good."

Angela, Mike, and Ben looked at me with a mixture of incredulity and wonder. Their eyes immediately drifted to Bella, whose hand had found a precarious position within my own once more.

"What is _she _doing here?" Lauren sniped, her fishy looking eyes glaring at Bella. I felt the surge of protective instincts swell over me as she issued a challenge with her eyes.

"_She _drove me over here to get something to eat after I got away. We met up outside the alley, and…well, she took me here." I said, looking at the group in front of me. Tyler looked at me and gave a suggestive waggle of his eyebrows. I felt the heat rise to my cheeks.

"Are you going to ride back with us?" Jessica asked. The hope in her voice seemed to strangle me.

"Actually, I was going to give him a ride home." Bella spoke up, her tinkling voice a stark contrast to everyone else's in the vicinity. "If that's not a problem." She turned her gaze to Tyler, her eyes smoldering in intensity.

Tyler seemed to be entranced and he said, "Y-Yeah, that's fine. No problem…Bella, is it?"

"Yes," Bella said, her smile taking his breath away. Lauren looked at her with a stare that would have any other girl quaking in her boots, but it didn't have that result on Bella.

"Tyler!" Jessica protested, "Jasper rode with us, he should ride back with us."

"Jess, this isn't the buddy system. It's not like we're at a club and everyone has to come back together. We all live in Forks, for crying out loud. Jazz will be fine."

That stopped Jessica's protests, and she pouted. I idly wondered what her deal was, when Mike was standing right there, ogling her like she was the hottest thing in the world. Mike wasn't a bad guy. Maybe a little disillusioned, but not a bad guy. She could do a lot worse than Mike Newton.

"I'll see y'all at school later, okay?" I said, giving them a smile to accompany my drawl.

"Alright." Tyler and Mike chimed at the same time. Mike a little to eager to get rid of me, I noticed. But that was okay. If he had a chance with Jessica, he needed to get me out of the way. She had a crush on me for the longest time, I knew.

With that, my group of friends walked away, occasionally giving me a glance over their shoulders in curiosity.

Bella looked at me with a smile and we walked to her car. I felt myself grin and I squeezed Bella's hand with my own, feeling the hard texture to her skin, like marble. Like the many times I had come in contact with the Cullens - hitting Emmett's shoulder, Bella's arm causing bruises on my torso - I had realized this was common with all the Cullens. Even though I had only had this experience with two of them, I had a feeling that they were all like that. They were similar in so many ways, it was uncanny.

We walked to her car that was parked by the alleyway where the events earlier that night had taken place. I felt myself shiver despite myself.

I walked over to Bella's driver's side and opened the door for her. Seemed kind of odd since it was to the driver's side of the car, and that it was Bella driving and not me, but I did it anyway. The gentleman in me, I guessed. I then walked over to the passenger's side and climbed in.

I was met with Bella's smoldering topaz gaze.

My heart seemed to stop in my chest as I met her eyes with my own.

"Just promise me one thing." She said, her voice a gentle whisper in the dark confines of the car.

"Of course." I said without thinking.

"If you figure this out - what I am - and you don't want to be near me…just tell me." Bella said, and her voice was so pained that I felt my heart falter. "I'll understand."

"You don't have to worry about that." I said, and I felt that strange sensation flutter in my chest again, "Because…" I felt myself becoming embarrassed. "I can't imagine _not _being around you, Bella."

I could practically feel the happiness that surrounded her, penetrating all the other emotions she had gone through tonight. It made me feel happy that I could cause such happiness within her.

"Thank you." She said as she started the car.

I just smiled and reached over and brushed a strand of her mahogany hair from her face. It was obscuring her features from my view, and I disliked that. Any glimpse of her face that I could get was a good one, something I enjoyed. Something I treasured now that I knew that maybe, just maybe we had a change to be together.

Or maybe I was getting to cocky…to confident.

But the words that Bella had told me had been truthful. Her wanting to be with me, her not being able to stay away from me…it was all burned into my memory. I didn't want to forget her words, and I was strangely finding peace that she had no intention of deceiving me any longer.

As long as I figured out what she was, she would tell me. She wouldn't lie. She wouldn't steer me in a different direction.

I suddenly had the undeniable urge to find out what Bella was.

I was determined, and that determination fueled me.

I wanted to find the truth more than anything.

And I knew that nothing would stop me.

* * *

_**End Chapter Eleven.**_

_Chapter eleven is done! Wow, it seemed to take forever, but I have finally finished it. It may not have been what everyone was expecting, but you can't really expect Bella to come out and say that she's a vampire. Haha. That'd be kind of anti-climactic._

_Anyway, I hope y'all enjoyed this! I know I enjoyed writing it. Bella and Jasper are becoming closer and…yeah. It's just a matter of time! _

_Okay, so thanks for reading! I appreciate all the support and kind reviews and feedback. Thanks for reading!_


	13. Without a Shred of Normalcy

_**Disclaimer:** __I don't own Twilight!_

_Thanks again for all the kind reviews! 200+! It's really amazing and I'm so glad that everyone likes this story. I really don't have any more to say except that I hope you enjoy this next chapter! Seems like forever since I last updated! Enjoy!_

* * *

**Long Road to Ruin  
Chapter Twelve: Without a Shred of Normalcy**

* * *

**Bella.**

Taking Jasper home was one of the highlights of the night. Other than saving him from his attackers and having a lovely dinner with him - albeit with strange consequences - I really liked the ride home the best.

Strange as it sounds, it was the peacefulness that made me feel a buzzing calm throughout my body. He looked rather calm as well, when I thought he should be feeling very anxious or nervous.

In a way, as insane as it seems, it felt as if his calm was flowing into me.

Just by his presence inside the car, I felt as if all the worries that had been building inside me had suddenly dissipated like a figment of my imagination.

The ride seemed to go one forever, and I wasn't complaining. I treasured this time I got alone with Jasper. It seemed that we didn't have much of that at school, which was when I got to see him the most. Well, not counting the two times I had snuck through his window to watch him sleep.

Damn Edward.

I turned onto his road the second he opened his mouth to tell me the directions. Obviously this startled him. I turned my head to meet his gaze and saw that his chocolate brown eyes were wide like saucers, staring at me incredulously. His mouth gaped open and closed before he turned his head back once more to stare out of the windshield.

I smiled to myself. There was another clue to help him figure out my origins.

I pulled into his driveway, and again he hadn't said anything as I turned into his house. His eyes seemed to grow wider, wide enough that I thought they would take up the expanse of his head if it were possible. He turned his head and looked at me, eyes searching, mind racing. His heartbeat was frantic, pulsing inside his chest. I could hear the blood pumping through his veins and smell the sweet nectar that made my throat burn despite the fact that I had recently fed. It was racing through his system, providing life to his being. The sweet life that I had lost so long ago…

I shook my head, the movement so quick that I saw Jasper blink twice before pinching the bridge of his nose in a very Edward-like gesture. I almost laughed at that.

I put the car in park and smiled at Jasper, "Here we are."

"Here…we are…" Jasper repeated, a ghost of his former vibrant self. He was obviously shocked that I knew where he lived. I had never seen him there before in his life, and being new to town I shouldn't know where any one lived. But I did. And he was in utter disbelief.

His hand groped for the handle of the door. Sweaty fingers twisted around it before he opened the door. I gave him a grin, showcasing my perfect teeth, and said, "Think hard, Jasper. And good night."

He gulped, and I watched with utter fascination as his Adam's apple bobbed beneath the soft, tender skin of his neck.

"Good night, Bella."

With that, he was gone. He shut the door and walked off. I could see perfectly, even in the darkness of the night. I got a very appealing glimpse of his form walking off, his hips swaying ever so slightly with an athletic swagger.

I didn't realize that my hands were gripping the steering wheel quite so tightly until I heard the slight creaking of the bars beneath my fingers. I cursed and quickly removed my pale fingers, seeing slight, but not overtly noticeable, imprints of my fingers on the wheel. Not uncommon for the Cullen clan. We often forgot our own strength. Emmett's Jeep's steering wheel was the worst of all, however. The dents and bends and curves he had put in his own steering wheel was quite comical.

I again shook my head of these thoughts and started to drive off. I pulled out of the driveway after Jasper disappeared inside his softly lit house. I had to force myself to; the urge to stay with him was so strong that I wasn't sure I could fight it.

But somehow I did. I turned out of his driveway, trying not to look back, trying to convince myself to not go back no matter what.

It was strange. As soon as I completely left his presence, I felt the full force of the agony of our predicament settle over me like a lead weighted jacket. I stayed on the road as best I could. It wasn't hard - it was always easy driving when you were a vampire. Every little detail was magnified one hundred fold. Made it impossible to wreck, but at the moment, I felt like I wanted to cause destruction, wanted to ram this small vehicle into a tree. I would survive, but…

I bit my lip, a gesture that followed me even after my death, and turned onto the small road that was lined by trees that led to our house. My eyes felt like they should be watering, but of course, vampires can't cry. And boy did I feel like crying right now.

I wasn't even sure _why _I wanted to.

I pulled into the garage and just sat there for a moment, not ready to go inside and face everyone, who no doubt would want to hear how everything went. Alice would have plenty of questions, I'm sure. Emmett would make suggestive jokes. Rosalie would probably be mad because I was endangering our family. Edward…well, Edward might would side with Rose. Carlisle and Esme would be supporting, as always.

It was all too much. I didn't know what to do. What would happen if Jasper never figured it out? How would I live with that? How could I take that? When he started to get older and I stayed the same…how would we live with that?

I felt the despair at our situation start to fold in on me.

I bowed my head against my arms, clenching my eyes shut, and feeling my fingers constrict on the steering wheel, but this time I didn't even bother to stop my hands from crushing it.

* * *

**Jasper.**

The ride home was full of small little surprises that I wasn't expecting at all.

First off, I did not expect Bella Cullen to listen to _Cage the Elephant_.

Secondly, I did not expect her car to be so damn _nice_. I wasn't the richest person in the world, but she drove a little Mazda that put my reasonably priced Altima to shame.

Third, I did not know she knew where I lived.

Correction - she _should not have known _where I lived.

But she did.

Somehow, some way, she knew exactly where to turn, where to go, to get to my house. I was shocked beyond belief to say the least.

As I got out of the car after she parked, I felt a strange chill go through me, as if this was the start of something grand and terrifyingly wonderful all that the same time. In a way, I knew it was true.

But it could only be true if I figured out what in the hell Bella _was_.

I walked into the house, and turned back to look at her when I reached the door, my hand on the knob. I couldn't see her through the darkness, but I could see the car's bright headlights piercing the pitch black. I tried to make eye contact somehow with her through the darkness of the car's windows, but I felt like it was to no avail. So I just opened the door and stepped through, trying to reason with myself how illogical this was.

How illogical my growing feelings for her.

How illogical that she be anything but human.

How illogical that…I knew she _wasn't _human.

I groaned to myself as I walked into the living room to see my mother watching the remainder of some baseball game. I wandered over and seated myself on the floor beneath the couch and rested my head against it. She looked down in awe as she turned the volume down.

"You okay, sweetie?" She said, her voice full of obligatory motherly concern.

"Yeah…just got a lot on my mind." I looked at the score of the game, "Yankees are winning."

She noticed my resignation of the subject and figured to not push it anymore. She knew me well enough to not press me for any information that I didn't put forward at the moment. Mom knew that I would open up sooner or later. We were all each other had, therefore that made us very close. "Yeah, the Sox are really screwing this one up."

I laughed, looking at my mother with a grin. She really was unlike any other woman around - she loved _sports_, for crying out loud. Mom looked back down at me and ran a hand through my hair, which was certain to be tangled and windblown. "You need a bath."

I snorted at that, "Thanks, Ma."

"How are you ever going to meet a girl like that?" She teased and looked down at me with love.

I felt the corner of my lips going up in a smirk, "I have prospects."

"Oh really? Is it Jessica? She's a…sweet girl." Mom grimaced.

"No!" I was quick to defend, "No, no, not Jess."

I shuddered at the thought of Jessica coming over to my house again. The first time hadn't gone over so well. She clung to me like saran wrap over leftover supper. Mom hadn't liked the fact that Jess acted like she loved her cooking, but then spit out her food in the napkin two seconds later. That, coupled with her being all over her "baby" and Jess breaking a valuable vase, Mom wasn't leaning in her favor to say the least.

That was one of the nights I had invited all of my friends over. They enjoyed it at my house. Partly because my house was pretty big and luxurious and partly because my mom was a very easy going person who didn't have to try hard to get along with them. She fit in with them as if she were still a teen herself. Basically, the night ended with Jessica thinking that she had a foot in the door of being approved of by "Jazzy's dear ol' mum", Mike feeling worse than usual about his position with Jess herself, Tyler and Lauren sneaking making out time every now and then, Angela and Ben relaxing and watching the game with me and my mom…

I shook my head, smiling as I remembered easier times. The times when I wasn't being pressed to find out what exactly my potential girlfriend was.

I felt a goofy grin spread across my face at that thought. _Potential girlfriend…that has a nice ring to it._

Though it sounded good in my mind, I couldn't help but wonder _why_. Why was Bella so apparently interested in me? I saw no rhyme or reason to it. I mean, yeah I was attractive by human standards, I supposed, either that or a few of the girls at my school were just blind or desperate. But someone with Bella's supernatural beauty, grace, poise…why would she be attracted to me? I was stumped.

I rose from my seated position at the foot of my mom's couch. She watched me warily, "Did I say something wrong?"

I shook my head, my eyes connecting with hers for a moment and I gave her my trademark grin, "Nah, not at all. Maybe, when things get straightened out, you'll get to meet her."

"I've already met Jessica." Her nose crinkled in disgust.

"No, it's not Jessica."

This perked Mom's interest, "Really? Is it Angela? You know I've always liked her."

I blinked, confused, but then sighed, "No, I don't think it's any one you know, Ma. Or at least, you've probably heard of them, but haven't seen them."

Mom blinked, a mirror image of my previous action, and then sighed, "Ah, okay, but just let them know that your mother is the first lady in your life."

I grinned at that, "You know I'm a Mama's boy."

"Obviously." Mom rolled her eyes playfully and slapped me on the arm gently. "Now you go take a shower before you have this whole house stinkin'."

"Right, right." I said, groaning as I made my way upstairs. "Sorry for the inconvenience!"

I heard Mom's cheerful laughter followed by a harsh cough. She must be getting sick again. I'd have to help her around the house more, I surmised, walking up the stairs to my room.

The shower I took was a long one, evidenced by my utter intent to stay in there as long as I could. I wanted to linger in the shower, as if the hot water would wash away all the stress and unsure feelings I was experiencing at the moment. I was also ready to enjoy the rest of the weekend before I had to go back to school and face Bella. Most likely I'd face her empty handed. I didn't know how I was to find out what she actually was beneath the beauty and the grace and the apparent non-aging.

I stepped out of the shower and walked in my room, my skin red and flushed from the heat of the shower spray. I walked to my dresser and searched for some clothes. I settled on just a pair of blue plaid pajama pants, opting to sleep without a shirt, as I often did. I looked across my room at the television that sat, collecting dust. I hadn't really been watching it lately, so I decided to walk across my rather spaciously cluttered room and turn it on.

The same baseball game Mom was watching flashed onto the screen, the Red Sox were now beating the Yankees by just one run. I smiled - Mom would like that. While she was a Sox fan, I was more of a Yankee person, myself.

I turned the volume up some and slunk into one of the beanbags beside my television. I had three, which would create problems if Tyler, Mike, _and _Ben came over to play X-Box. I suddenly felt my stomach growling and decided to head downstairs to get something to eat as well as tell Mom good night.

The stairs creaked underneath my feet, a familiar sound to a familiar setting, and it soothed me for a reason unknown. I made my way into the kitchen and swung open the fridge door, peering inside for anything remotely appetizing. I saw a bunch of leftovers in Tupperware containers, as well as some eggs and all the other usual things someone would find in the refrigerator. I finally decided to warm up some of the leftover chicken and dumplings we had the night before. I was tempted to just eat it cold, but decided against it; I was so hungry. Probably due to my lack of eating at the restaurant. But at the time Bella and I were at the restaurant, I couldn't find the will to eat. I was too engrossed in her to even bother with my food. Especially after all of the occurrences that had gone down.

I watched the container of food rotate in the microwave with a dull expression, seeing and not seeing at the same time. Every now and then, my eyes would flicker up to the numbers on the timer, and I sighed, wanting the stupid thing to hurry up already.

Finally, after an eternity, it seemed, the microwave beeped, signaling that my food was done heating up. I grabbed it and hissed through my teeth; I supposed I set the timer for too long, because the Tupperware bowl burned my hand as I picked it up.

I decided to leave it there and go say goodnight to my mother. I walked back into the living room, my bare feet suddenly cold without the protection of shoes, and made my way to the couch. Mom was still there, laying down this time, engrossed in the game that was still playing out before her eyes.

I looked at her, cocking my head to the side. She was sleeping, her chest moving up and down slowly in time with her breaths, and I felt a small smile spread across my lips. I walked across the room and got a blanket that was thrown hastily across the chair. I proceeded to lay it across my mother's slumbering form. Then I kissed her forehead gently before moving back into the kitchen.

Grabbing my food and a fork, as well as a few napkins, I made my way up the stairs once more, but as I made the ascent I felt a cold chill seep over me, into my bones, chilling me to my very core.

I stopped in my tracks.

This was familiar. Painfully, terrifyingly familiar.

Each of the times I had encountered this, I had no idea where it came from, but right now, it was emanating from my room.

I gulped, wondering what I was about to encounter when I decided to finally make my way up the remainder of the stairs. My feet seemed glued into the spot in the middle of the stairs, not moving, as if they had a mind of their own.

Biting my lip, I broke the hold the sudden fear had on me, and walked up to my room. I opened the door cautiously with one hand, the other carefully holding my steaming food. I looked down at the knob as I twisted it, as if it was going to shock me with the same sinister energy I felt. It didn't, of course. I supposed I was just being paranoid.

I didn't look up until the food was sitting safely on the small table beside the light switch near the door. But I didn't have to look up to feel the energy surging through me. Emotions, as clear as if they were mine, filtered through me at a wicked pace. I felt my breath hitch and stutter in my chest and I looked up, thinking that something was certainly there.

But there wasn't.

The emotions were still there, however, seeming to suffocate me with their intensity.

Hatred, malice, revenge, anger, and strangely enough, mild curiosity among those other, more troubling ones.

My room was empty…of any _people _that were supposed to be there.

I looked ahead in a daze at my room. But quickly the haze lifted from my eyes and I saw that something was indeed wrong.

_Oh…my God. _I thought, my heart beating wildly and out-of-control in my chest. I felt it going one hundred miles an hour, seemingly desperate to pump the blood through my system at a faster rate than was humanly possible.

The three beanbags that had been seated in front of my television were thrown hastily across the room. One was all the way across the room, laying right beside my bed. Another was laying to the left side of the television, closest to me. And the last one was beneath the window, which was closed.

The television was still on, but the towel I had used to cover myself in my venture from the shower to the room was draped over it like some sick cape. I looked over to my bed, and saw that the remote control was sitting on the foot of it, as if someone was watching the television from their perch on my bed.

I cautiously walked further into my room, the warm, comforting bowl of food long forgotten. There didn't seem to be any further damage, and I started to bolt around my room.

I checked underneath my bed. Nothing.

I checked in my closet. Nothing.

Bathroom? Nothing there, either.

_No one was there._

I walked over to my window and peered out into the dark of night, seeing nothing but feeling everything as if it were fresh. This had just happened after all, and unless I had a bout of supreme memory loss and did this myself, _someone else was in the room_.

But I looked everywhere, and there was absolutely no one there.

I stayed there, staring out at the window for a while before I backed away, tiring of just standing there. My heart still beat frantically in my chest, and I actually reached my hand to press against the bare skin there to attempt to calm it.

I stepped back, and that's when I saw it.

Five large cracks in the glass went straight downward continuing until they marred the mahogany wood of the windowsill, disappearing once they reached the floor.

I stumbled back, tripping over my own feet, my breath coming out in ragged, tortured gasps.

"What…the hell?"

I swallowed deeply, grasping my throat with desperate fingers, as if that would help me breathe without difficulty.

It was like someone took their hand and scratched the window, down to wall, with long nails, leaving grooves so deep that even if they were painted over, they would still be visible.

I backed up so far that my head collided with the side of my bed. I almost shouted at the suddenness of it all, but I pulled myself up on to the top of my bed with shaky limbs backing up until I once again collided with something. This time it was the headboard and I looked around, my eyes darting from place to place in the room, looking for some sign of life that would signal who the hell did this.

Nothing.

I felt like my breaths were becoming harder and harder to come by, and they were. I was gasping for air, my pathetic attempt to remain calm had shattered long ago.

I felt like an idiot - a _coward_ - for letting this get to me so. But who wouldn't be freaked out of this happened to them? A _moron_, that's who. And I was definitely not a moron. I felt the emotions that were here before I got into the room. I felt the rage, the anger, though I didn't know what it was directed at, I felt it like it was my own.

I grasped at the covers and ducked beneath them, not even bothering to leave the supposed safety of my bed and turn off the light. I could hear the television blaring out from underneath the towel across the room. I buried myself in the comfort of the blankets, hiding myself away from whatever it was that was malicious toward me.

Suddenly, Bella's words rang throughout my head, a pale comparison to hearing her actual voice.

"_What lives in my world is far more frightening than those thugs in the alley. More dangerous. More __**deadly**__. You wouldn't understand the danger you've put yourself in by just being near me like this…"_

My breaths started coming out faster and faster. I squeezed my eyes shut as tight as they would go and winced at the pressure as I saw Bella's beautiful face behind my lids.

"_I don't want any harm to befall you, but if I stay near you like this then that is almost guaranteed."_

My heart was pounding in my chest, faster and faster every second.

I remembered Bella's words and they pierced through me, truer than I ever could have imagined.

I tried to imagine Bella's sweet, caring face. Tried to imagine it so it would soothe me in some way I knew regular reasoning could not. I imagined her kind face, thick hair, mesmerizing eyes, and I felt my heart slow somewhat.

But then I thought of the destruction caused to my room, and I pressed my face into my pillow to muffle my screams.

* * *

_**End Chapter Twelve. **_

_And there's chapter twelve. I hope y'all enjoyed it. It was a very interesting thing to write. Lol some action is happening! Jasper may seem like kind of a scaredy cat in this chapter, but seriously put yourself into his shoes right now. You'd be scared half to death too! Lol. _

_Anyway, this chapter was a really fun thing to write, and I am so glad for all my reviewers! I hope everyone liked this chapter as well. Thanks so much for the feedback and I just hope I get some more positive words for this chapter as well!_

_Thanks again! _


	14. Aftermath

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Twilight!_

_Thanks so much for the reviews! They make me inspired to write more and I am so glad that everyone likes this fic! So, I'm trying to get started on this chapter early! Maybe you'll read it early, maybe not. But at least I tried to get it out quicker! Lol._

_Anyway, enjoy!_

* * *

**Long Road to Ruin  
****Chapter Thirteen: Aftermath**

* * *

**Jasper.**

Looking back, I don't know how I survived the night without running downstairs to my mother like a baby.

I guess I just tried to be strong in the face of something so terrifying. Something that I had no grasp over. The fact that I didn't know what exactly did the damage to my room terrified me even more than the fact that someone was in my space. I had the covers bunched over my head, my face in my pillow, and my eyes squeezed shut. I half expected someone to rip the covers from my body and expose me to the thing that had done this.

_Beep, beep, beep!_

I almost jumped out of my skin when my alarm went off.

Startled, I sat up, the covers falling from around my body, and whipped my head back and forth. Nothing was there. The room was still in disarray, but the dim rays of the sun, muddled by the clouds, came through my windows, illuminating my room.

My eyes felt terribly scratchy, and I had no doubt that I would have trouble staying awake in class today. I hardly got any sleep last night. Most of the time I was wide awake, staring into the darkness of the blanket that surrounded me. Sometimes, sleep would claim me, for just a few minutes. I never got into a deep sleep, but I would just doze for a few minutes at a time. Each time though, when I thought I found some relief, I would hear a sound that would awaken me.

I realized it was chilly in my room and immediately brought the covers around me to try to warm myself. Why was it so cold?

Looking over to the window where the scratches resided, I saw something that chilled me more than the cold.

The window was open.

My heart started pounding hard and fast in my chest, so much so that I thought it would break free of the bony cage surrounding it.

_Oh no, oh no…God help me… _I thought over and over, repeating it like a mantra in my head.

The window was closed when I went to sleep last night.

I couldn't get out of the room fast enough. I grabbed what clothes I could and ran downstairs our other bathroom to take a hot shower. No way was I taking a shower in my own room. Not now.

The hot water washed over my body and I groaned with the feeling it gave me. I felt as if it were waking me up from a nightmare, when I knew that the nightmare wasn't in my dreams, it was a reality. Something that I was living in right now. Something that I would love to be just a dream, a wicked nightmare, but it wasn't. It was too real. What I felt was too real, too sinister, to be made up in the recesses of my own head.

I finished the shower seemingly hours later, but it was only a span of a few minutes. I dressed in the clothes I had grabbed from my room and walked out, towel drying my hair carefully, as if I was afraid that this would be something that would trigger the strange things that had happened.

I immediately ran into my mother, who was ready for work, but looking worried.

"Jasper, are you alright?" She asked, her voice apparent with her worry, "You look like you've seen a ghost."

_Ghost? _Could it be a ghost? An actual apparition that haunted me? No…it was too real, too concrete to be a ghost. But it might be a poltergeist, one that actively caused harm and destruction.

Could that be the answer to what was happening?

"Nah, I'm alright," I told her, trying not to meet her eyes, knowing that mine looked exhausted.

"Sweetie," She started, grabbing my chin and making me look at her. Shit, she'd noticed already. "you must not have slept good last night."

_The understatement of the century. _I thought crassly, trying to turn my head from her grasp.

"Are you sick?"

"No. I'm fine, Mom."

"Okay…just was checking…" She started out uncertainly, looking away from me before gazing into my eyes, our eyes duplicates of each other, the same chocolate brown in color, "I just heard you screaming…"

"What?"

"You were screaming and I walked up there to check and your room was in a mess." She admitted uncertainly. "You were sleeping and the covers were all pulled up and…well, it worried me, sweetheart."

"I'm fine…I had a nightmare, I guess."

She nodded in agreement. Though she didn't know exactly what happened, knowing a piece of it would give her closure and not worry her too much. That was the last thing I wanted to do. I never wanted to cause my mother any kind of strife, after all the things she had done for me. But I couldn't tell her the truth. Not without being committed to an institution.

"Well, I hope you have a good day at school today," Mom said to me, giving me a shaky smile that tugged at my heart.

"Yeah, you have a good day at work, too." I said, returning the gesture.

With that, my mother left me alone in the house that had seemingly become my prison overnight.

* * *

**Bella.**

"Your lover boy is late."

The tinkling words came from my blonde sister, and I looked over at her, where she sat, idly looking at her nails without the slightest hint of interest. After glancing briefly at her, I moved my laser-accurate gaze to the door, as if willing him to appear. He didn't, of course. Vampires may be talented in many things, but we can't will people into existence, apparently.

"Surprised you noticed." I said after a while. Though I wasn't really surprised. Rosalie had her moments, but she really cared about us all. Though she was opposed to having another member join us, this so-called existence, she loved me and wanted the best.

"Blondes look out for each other." Rosalie said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, her eyes looked at me, and the tone in them was obvious. Amusement was the key emotion in her face, and it made me glad to see that.

I laughed slightly, still worried about Jasper, and then the tardy bell rang, signaling that even if he did come, he would be labeled as late.

I figured that even if he was late, if I could see him at all today it would be an accomplishment, one that filled me with joyous anticipation that I just couldn't contain, it seemed…

The door creaked open. I smelled the sweet scent of his blood before I saw him and immediately a smile cracked over my eternally eighteen-year-old face.

As soon as I saw him, however, that changed.

He looked jumpy, almost hesitant, as he explained why he was late to the teacher. My eyes studied his appearance, and I almost gasped audibly. Circles were blatantly visible underneath his eyes, a stark contrast to his face since last night. Last night he was youthful, vibrant, heroic. Now he just seemed beaten and trampled. His hair was even more unruly than it usually was, and his eyes had the red veins breaking the smooth whites of his eyes. His hands were wringing on the strap of his backpack and he bit his lip. He was frantic, and his eyes shot from place to place, as if he was just waiting for something abnormal to happen.

Immediately, my heart leapt in utmost worry for his state, fragile as it was right now. He ran a hand through his hair and scanned the crowd of students in the room, searching for something. His eyes wheeled, and finally stopped when they came into contact with me. I knew my expression was puzzled, yet caring, and he could see it on my face, but he didn't come near. He simply took his seat and I saw his friends take notice of his disheveled appearance.

I had never before seen Jasper so shaken. Not even when his mother's friend had died had he been like this. Something must have upset him so much that…

I shook my head, not wanting to think of Jasper alone in his room, scared and wanting someone to be there. I didn't want to think that the cause of that strife could be _me_. Could what I had told him last night about me being…inhuman have made him like this? It pained me to even think I could be the cause of such a tortured look on his face.

As his friends started whispering, I tuned out the teacher and listened intently to try to figure out what was going on.

"Jazz, what the hell happened?" Jessica asked, her voice an octave too sharp and it hurt my sensitive ears.

"What are you talking about?" Jasper replied, not one to talk about his problems, "I'm fine. Just missed some sleep last night."

"Oh, you and Bella…" Jessica immediately looked over to me, a glare in her eyes. I kept my profile turned toward them, so they couldn't tell I was listening. "Whore."

Jasper turned to the frizzy haired little human and said, "Stop it. I'm not in the mood for your jealousy now, Jess. And for your information, it didn't go down like that. At _all_."

The tone in his voice was fierce, unforgiving, and I felt a surge of happiness come over me at what he just said. He was protecting my honor when he had obviously endured hell after I had left him just last night.

"Yeah, Jess, seriously this is not the time…" Angela spoke up quietly, her voice a calm blanket that covered what would have been a ribbing comeback that wouldn't have been in my favor.

"The tone of his voice seemed like he _wanted _it to go that far, though." Mike said snidely, obviously siding with Jessica. I heard Jasper's heart rate pick up ever-so-slightly at the insinuation.

I immediately found myself enraged with his so-called friends. Why would they be like this when something had so deeply disturbed him? Shouldn't they be trying to reassure him? A part of me wanted to go over there and call them out, but I knew I shouldn't. The problem was that Jessica was having problems accepting the fact that Jasper and I were…well I don't know what we were at this moment, but obviously the human thought we were going to be an item and she was jealous. Mike was jealous of Jasper. Always had been, always will, since Jessica was absolutely infatuated with him. Sometimes he felt as if he and Jasper were best friends, and he acted it, but other times he was utterly two-faced. That was according to Edward, however. And usually, Edward was right on about these kind of disputes.

It actually seemed like the only close friends that cared about him without any strings attached trying to pull them otherwise were Tyler and Angela. I was glad he had friends, but it seemed as if his interaction with me was causing him more harm than good. I felt my worry start to crumble into something worse - despair.

As if sensing the change, Jasper looked up from his conversation with his group and met my eyes with his own. The longing in them was palpable, as well as the confusion, the hurt, the horror. I looked at him, not breaking the gaze for even a minute. The electricity crackled between us, it seemed, and Jessica looked in my direction with a roll of her eyes as Mike said soothing words to her. Angela's face was contorted with worry and confusion for her friend, and I was glad that she was in Jasper's life. He needed people who cared about him around him.

Suddenly, the bell rang for the next class. I was shocked, for I didn't remember the last time that the class had gone by so quickly.

I tried to catch up to him after the bell rang, but he was no where to be found. I knitted my eyebrows together, the little worry line appearing between my brows. One trait I had never been to escape, even when immortal.

"He's scared." Edward said, his velvet smooth voice coming from right beside me. I looked over at him, my eyes searching his identical topaz orbs for something of value. "It's not your fault, so don't worry about that."

I opened my mouth to protest, about to blame myself, when the bronze haired vampire interrupted me for what seemed like the billionth time in our existence.

"Let him tell you on his own. He's going to, but it will take him a while to work up to it."

It was then that I realized the look on Edward's face. The pained, confused look that had been all too prominent on Jasper's features was now painting a grim picture on the Adonis-like qualities of Edward's face. He looked at me with an intent that I didn't even know the meaning of, but it was probably to make me not ask any more questions.

I then noticed Alice, her head of black hair tucked snugly into Edward's shoulder, her hands squeezing the digits of his long, pianist fingers. "Listen to Edward, Bella."

I looked down at Alice's petite form with pleading eyes, "I can't stand to see him like this…"

"He will tell you." Alice replied, not giving in for even a second, even though I was shocked by the pain in my own voice. "It will be today, just so you don't blow a gasket."

Today.

Jasper would tell me today what had happened? I trusted Alice's visions completely, but it seemed strange that he would tell me so soon. Something that had bothered him as much as this seemed to have shouldn't take such a short of time to tell someone. Not that I was complaining, but it just seemed odd to me.

"He trusts you, is why." Alice continued.

Hearing those words, I thought my heart would suddenly start back beating once again.

Jasper _trusts _me?

It was a thought that sent my mind into a giddy wheel of thinking. He trusts me. _Jasper trusts me. _

"I don't even have to read your mind to know what your thinking. It's all over your face." Edward said, smirking slightly, but his eyes were still disturbed. The contrast didn't match at all.

I looked at him, my eyes trying to betray none of my emotions. Apparently, it was for nothing, for Edward just smirked at me. Still, it didn't reach his eyes. And, still, it was something that I didn't like seeing.

I could already tell this was going to be a long day.

* * *

I waited.

Not since my transformation had waiting been so torturous. Every second of not knowing what was tormenting Jasper took its toll on me. I felt my patience become thin; I almost snapped at some poor girl who bumped into me in the hall.

Lunch came around, as fast as a tortoise, I suppose you could say. It was a drudgingly long wait, and as soon as I saw Jasper enter the room, I wanted to go up to him and demand what was going on. I didn't however, for Edward and Alice's words were haunting me, and I wanted to honor their sentiments, however hard it would be.

I sat at a table, by my lonesome, idly picking at a few threads of pasta with my fork as my eyes stared forward, unblinking, unseeing. My mind was in a whirl and I could only wonder in aching curiosity what was going to happen when Jasper eventually cracked and told me what happened.

I waited, hoping that he would walk up to me and smile, and that everything would be fine. But I knew that wasn't the case. He might walk up to me, but he wouldn't be okay. He would tell me that there was something wrong. Maybe something that had disturbed him so much that he wouldn't want to be around me…

I was so lost in my thoughts, that I didn't notice when a tray was slammed down in front of me. I almost jumped, but not quite.

Looking up, I was met with the face I had longed to see all day, "Jasper."

I said his name in relief as well as surprise, though it shouldn't have caught me off guard. Just another inkling of the human charade I had to put forth to make sure that I didn't give anything away intentionally.

His large chocolate eyes were still scared, jumpy, but he wasn't as frazzled as he had looked this morning. He sat down wearily and I could hear a sigh emit from his lips as he situated himself. It was as if the usual day of school had suddenly become some weight he could hardly bear. My heart lurched at his expression - one of terror and confusion and childlike fright. It was a look that had been on his face the day I had saved him from the cougar.

"Bella."

The way he said my name caused a shiver to roll down my spine. His voice cracked in the middle of it and I felt my heart shrink inside my chest, as if his voice sounding so weak was my kryptonite.

I looked at him, and he pointedly ignored my stare. When he did so, I reached out my hand and grasped his wrist. He wanted to jerk away, but I held him in place. His face was pained, as if he was being burned by the unnaturalness of my skin.

"I guess you want to know what's wrong." He said, his accent droopy and unenthusiastic, but it also held a sense of utter sadness and vulnerability.

"I would like that, yes."

He looked me in the eye for the first time since he sat down, "You'll think I'm crazy."

"I've heard crazier, no doubt."

A tinge of a smile appeared on his cheeks, and I felt my heart swell inside of my long-dead chest.

"There's…I…" Jasper looked hard-pressed for words, biting his lip in a rather strange gesture, and his eyes wavering back and forth. He looked the epitome of a nervous wreck. And I was just sitting there, powerless to help him. At least until he actually told me what was wrong. "Something happened…last night."

Something hit me then. I hadn't noticed it before, my mind had been too entranced by his strange appearance to notice, but now the strange scent drifted to my nostrils. Sweet, cold, stinging my nose with the knowledge of what had possibly happened.

His clothes reeked with the smell of _vampire_.

"What?" I asked, all too eagerly now that I had some inkling of what had transpired. My body suddenly felt cold, despite the fact that it had been cold naturally for some time now.

"I think - I mean, I _know _someone…was…" His voice trailed off and cracked in odd places before he finally admitted the problem, "…someone was in my room last night."

If my heart was beating, I was sure this would have stopped it.

Putting the prior information together, I felt my mind whirling around and around in some sick circle. _A vampire was in Jasper's room. A vampire was in Jasper's room. __**In Jasper's room!**_

The pieces fit together smoothly. A vampire had been in his room, obviously. But why? Had it been the vampire from previous encounters? The one who had killed that poor pharmacist that worked with Jasper's mother? The one who had been following him around lately? I felt my hands clench over the metal of the fork, pressing into the stony digits of my fingers so that the hard substance molded to fit the creases of them.

Jasper's eyes moved down to my hand, which was now trembling in a manner that was reminiscent of Edward's overprotective nature. His own hand reached out and wrapped around mine, immediately calming it. The warmth of his hand enveloped my hand, and though it was no doubt cold, the blonde didn't seem affected by it. He only held my hand tighter, as if to reassure _me_, when it was he that had the huge problem on his hands.

"Bella, stop."

I looked at him, shocked at his weak, yet pleading words. His eyes were focused on the fork in my hands. I felt my grip relax on the object and Jasper let go of my hand just as the utensil fell from my fingertips, clattering on the tabletop. His eyes widened as he saw the indentions of my fingers on the metal of the fork, and I watched his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed compulsively.

"Another…clue?" He asked, trying to lighten the mood.

"I suppose." I said through clenched teeth.

"Are you…" Jasper started, his tone embarrassed and tired, "a ghost of some sort?"

At this, I laughed. It was such a random question, especially after I had realized such a disturbing thing had occurred to him last night. "No. I'm solid. Ghosts can't bend silverware like that, as far as I know."

"I dunno if you can call this school's cheap forks 'silverware', but okay."

A laugh once again escaped my lips, "Ghosts aren't visible either. At least, not all the time."

"I was just…wondering." Jasper said, his eyes moving from me to my family, all of whom were sitting at the usual table in the corner, unsubtly stealing glances in our direction. "My room was destroyed last night…and I thought it might be a ghost…and maybe…"

"You thought I was a ghost that destroyed your room?" I asked in shock and something like incredulity.

"No," Jasper shook his head solemnly, "you wouldn't do that. What happened scared the shit out of me. You wouldn't intentionally do that. I just thought…after our talk last night. About the dangers I would face by being close to you…that, maybe, the thing that did that might be of…some relation to you."

I nodded in thought. It did seem like a reasonable leap once everything was considered. And, in this case, he was right, "Yeah. I see your point."

"The…what happened - it was bad. I think I might be going crazy…" Jasper punctuated his thoughts with a laugh, one that sounded self-mocking and loathing at the same time. "My window was closed when I went to bed last night, but this morning I woke up and it was open. But before that, before I went to sleep, I came up to my room and saw…everything was in disarray…there were scratches on the wall, and on the glass of the window…like someone had taken their hand and _clawed_…" A shudder rippled down his spine at that moment, and it was all I could do to not lose myself in the anger I felt right then.

Out of my control, I felt a piece of my mind stretch out, and move to cover Jasper, protecting him, settling over him. The vampire "gift" I had been bestowed when I was turned was the power to shield other people from mental attacks, and though I knew that wouldn't protect him from a physical attack, it was all I could do at the moment to protect him. Any little bit, no matter how useless it was, would help soothe my mind. Somehow, though futile it was, I knew if I was protecting him, it was worthwhile.

"I just…I don't know what to do." He said, oblivious to my little attempt to shield him. "What if it comes back? What if it is there when I am in my room and does something? What about my mother…"

"Shh," I said, soothing him with my voice as I reached out and grasped his hand with my own, starting to rub soothing circles on the back of his hand with my fingers, as if massaging him. I did it gently, using as little of my superhuman strength as possible, "it's going to be alright, Jasper."

Jasper looked at me, his Hershey chocolate eyes wide with worry that was clearly eating him up inside. I controlled my emotions - they bubbled up inside me like a pot of water set to boil over. If I didn't, I would end up crushing him in my embrace, as if that would protect him. He wasn't ready for that.

Instead I gazed into his eyes and held his hand a little too tight, trying to bind him against my skin, it seemed. I wanted him to feel safe, to feel protected, and it was completely tragic that he felt so unnerved and frightened at this moment, looking into my eyes, as if I…

"Is the person…that was in my room…was that person _like _you?"

I felt the guilt parade over my face, shrouding my features in its cloud. I knew he knew the answer before I had even let it escape my lips, but I said it anyway, as gently as I possibly could manage, "Yes."

I saw the sharp intake of breath that caused his chest to swell. I felt the guilt consume me as entirely as any emotion I had ever felt.

"And…I'm still going to have to figure this out on my own." He said, more a statement than a question.

"Yes."

Jasper nodded in reluctant admittance and then I saw a smile tug at his lips, bitter and resentful, and I immediately hated the look on him. It didn't suit him at all. He deserved to be happy and carefree, like he was before I came into the picture and brought all of this…_hell _with me.

I reached forward and grasped his hand with my own once more, loving how warm his skin felt against mine. I gazed into his eyes and with an intensity I couldn't describe even if I tried, I growled softly at him.

"I will not allow _anything _to hurt you."

I had never meant anything more than that statement.

* * *

_**End Chapter Thirteen.**_

_There it is! Chapter thirteen. This one seemed to take so long…and I'm sorry if the wait was too long. I have been trying to focus on finishing this other fic on this other account of mine, but I'm back, and so is my Twilight inspiration. _

_Alright, so I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter and I really hope that y'all liked it. I would love to hear feedback and your opinions because that always makes me feel good after I write. Lol._

_Thanks again!_


	15. Teetering on the Precipice

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Twilight._

_Now, here's the latest chapter! I'm trying to update as often as I can, but Christmas break is over and I don't know how often that I will update because of it. College is college, I guess. At least I don't have a major math this semester. _

_Anyway, here's chapter fourteen!_

* * *

**Long Road to Ruin  
****Chapter Fourteen: Teetering on the Precipice **

* * *

**Jasper.**

After I told Bella of the latest development in the drama that is my life, I felt better.

It was a strange thing, how just talking to someone who could possibly understand your situation was something that would make you feel one hundred times better than if you talked to someone who had no earthly clue what was going on. I felt as if a lead weight had been lifted off of my shoulders as her eyes looked concernedly at me.

I felt like a complete wimp, though. I should've been stronger. I needed to be stronger. For my sake, and for Bella's. If I acted like I was some traumatized puppy, I knew Bella wouldn't be able to stay calm. As I looked at her at lunch, her eyes held a fiercely protective gaze that immediately took me aback. I was shocked at the utter fierceness of her stare, and her hand was so cold…almost like something dead, against mine.

_Something dead?_ I thought to myself as I made my way to the football field. We had just gotten done running sprints in the gym, as usual, and we were off to go over plays for the first football game next Friday.

I blatantly hoped that Bella would come to watch. Her last class of the day had been going to the field often, every day it wasn't raining, they came to the field and sat and watched us practice. I tried my best to not let it effect how I would play, but sometimes during a huddle, I had to fight the urge to look up and fix my eyes on her.

I was wearing some of the shoulder pads we use for very intense practices, like the one I was about to get into, and the padded football pants for practice as well. I carried one of the raggedy old helmets underneath my arm as I strode forward, my cleats squishing on the spongy grass.

"Jazzy!" Tyler greeted, waving a hand at me, "What took you so long?"

I only laughed at that, slapping my hand against his outstretched one, and chided, "Greatness takes time, Crowley."

I wondered where I found it in me to laugh and joke like that, especially after…

No, _no_, I would not think about that. Not now. I had to focus on my game. I had to do my best so we would at least win a few games. I couldn't let things such as _that _bother me right now when I was obviously in no danger.

"You better be great. We need you, my dear running back."

"Of course." I scoffed before the whistle blew, signaling us to run toward Coach Clapp. I felt my feet lift and I ran as was expected. Even with the exertion from the previous suicides we had all done, I loved the strong feeling my legs gave me as I ran. It was one of my favorite pass times - probably why I was a running back.

Coach Clapp brought us all together and took out his playbook. He drew some X's and O's and went over the basics. The first string would be running the offense, while the second string would cover the defense.

I put my helmet on just as Mike discreetly slapped my ass.

Ah, the joys of football.

We started to run several plays, and I was completely into my role, running the ball down the field, dodging several defenders as they tried to take me down. I ended up getting to the other end of the field without much difficulty, proving that Coach's method had worked. We did this several times, until we were flawless in our approach.

"Alright, guys!" Coach Clapp said, blowing his whistle once again, and we all rushed up to him. "That's enough for today."

I looked at him, shocked. It was strange for Coach to let practice out this early, and I wondered what was going on. But I wasn't going to complain.

"I've decided to let everyone off today, but we are going to practice extremely hard these next couple of days. The ending of this week and every day next week, I expect to see every single one of you give it your all so we can have a great season."

"All in guys!" Tyler shouted, placing his fist in the center of the huddle. We all bumped our fists against his, and then we chanted our usual post-practice words and separated.

I pulled off my helmet, feeling the soothingly cool air on my cheeks and damp hair with a smile on my face. It was refreshing to feel the breeze on my face after being confined inside that helmet for so long.

"Jazz!" Tyler called out to me, waving a hand in my direction as he grinned.

I ran over to meet him, catching up to him just a few seconds later, "Yeah?"

"Wanna throw the ball around for a bit?" Tyler said as we made our way back to the field house to change. "Since we got out, like…twenty minutes earlier."

"Sure!" I said, my eyes excited. Mike jogged over at that instant, looking at us questioningly.

"Can I join?" He asked, and I grinned at him before looking at Tyler.

"Sure, Newt." Tyler said with a not-so-subtle roll of his eyes.

Mike snickered, "Oh, okay, _Crow_."

I laughed at their word ploys on their last names, and I wondered what mine would be. Whitlock-ness monster? I snickered to myself at my childish thought. I was glad that I was still able to joke to myself after all that happened…

We walked into the field house and changed. I was now in a baggy t-shirt and a pair of black basketball shorts along with my cleats. Tyler grabbed the football and I shouted, "Race ya!" And I was off like a shot.

"Geez, are we twelve now, Whitlock?"

"No fair!" I heard Mike shout, "You got a head start!"

I beat them to the field, of course. I felt a swell of pride as I slowed to a jog before stopping completely, watching the other two guys race to meet me. I lifted my arms to put my hands behind my head and sighed, feeling the strangely cool air fill my lungs. I then looked up into the bleachers and saw the familiar sight that I wanted.

Bella.

She was sitting with her family at the very top of the bleachers, isolated from all of the other people in her seventh hour class. She was staring down at me, or I thought she was at least. Her face was tilted in my direction at least, it was hard to tell with the bleachers so far away. Then, she waved at me and I felt a smile break across my features. I grinned at her, as if she could see my face and waved back.

"Quit making googly eyes at your girlfriend, Jazzy." Tyler said, tossing the ball to Mike, who barely caught it in time. No wonder he wasn't a major ball handler on the team.

I felt my cheeks color with his accusation, but just laughed and said, "I should tell you the same thing, Mr. Mallory."

"Prick." Tyler scoffed as he caught the ball before throwing it to me.

I caught the perfect spiral in mid-air as I jumped. Smiling at him, I said, "You sure do got a way with words."

"I damn sure do!" Tyler said, in an over exaggerated mocking of my accent.

I grinned at him as I tossed the ball to Mike, "Don't be hostile!"

"Big word, little brain!"

I laughed, knowing that he was only joking. It felt good to joke around again, the very action was sooner than I thought it would be. I thought I would be more traumatized than I was, and for a while, the first part of class, I was almost catatonic, only answering when the teacher called on me, only talking when talked to. It was strange how shut down I'd been, but when I talked to Bella, it was like all my fears went away.

"Go long, Jazz!" Tyler shouted, cocking his arm back about to throw the football. I started to run, my eyes cast upward, looking for the object as it flew toward me. But he had put too much arm on it, and it flew over my head, crashing into the woods around us, and I couldn't see where the ball went. He shouted in exasperation, "Damn!"

"I'll get it!" I hollered, making my way though the small opening in the bushes and maneuvering my way through the trees and the squishy moss covered surroundings in the woods that basically caved in around the sides of the field.

It was darker than I expected in the woods. I had only been back here when we were in elementary school and we were hunting for bugs and things for a project. But suddenly, the woods seemed ominous, foreboding. I wondered what was making the whole place feel that way, when usually I wasn't concerned with such trivial things…

Must be the fact that I am basically being stalked. I chalked it up to that, but tried not to think about it too much. Already I was getting chills from just imagining that there was someone else in the woods with me, but I knew there wasn't.

There couldn't be, could there?

Shaking my head, I looked around. Certainly this was where the ball landed… It couldn't have rolled that far from where it had penetrated the thick trees that surrounded the field.

I stumbled forward, stepping gracefully over fallen logs and twigs, jumping over puddles and sloshing rainwater onto my bare legs. I resisted calling childishly out to the ball, as if it had ears and could hear me. Oh, how much easier it would be if that were the case. But I wasn't, so I continued to falter around like some kind of fool, looking fruitlessly for the football that had gone missing.

There was a slight crunching of leaves beside me. I turned in the direction of the sound and there was nothing. But then, from the side I had just turned away from, came a voice. One that chilled me more than the silence of the woods.

"I believe this is yours."

The voice was melodic. Bell-like in quality. Girlish and radiant and strangely seductive. I felt the muscles in my arms tense as an unnatural fear crept through my veins, freezing like ice water. I turned my head slowly to the direction of the voice and saw the ball laying dejectedly on the ground by my feet. There was no indication that a person was ever there, but I had clearly heard a voice. I bent over and picked up the ball, which was strangely cold, colder than the actual weather outside. I faced forward, looking curiously at the ball in my hands before looking up…

And being met with a pair of blazing red eyes.

The woman in front of me could only be described as beautiful. Inhumanly so. Her perfect, angular features were focused in my direction. She was almost as tall as I was, but the way she was looking at me made me feel shorter. Her wild, wavy red hair was like some kind of wickedly sharp flame on her head, cascading down her shoulders and over her chest. But the most shocking feature of her impeccable face was her scarlet eyes, like the thick color of blood.

I was immediately bombarded with an array of questions, each one more perplexing than the last.

Who was she?

Why was she here?

What is she doing?

Why is she _looking _at me like that?

And, then, in the midst of all those questions, I felt it. Like a strong wave rolling over me, I felt all the emotions…it was a strange thing to feel at the time, but it was exactly the same as the feelings I had been subjected to on a daily basis.

Anger. Rage. The very deep seated…resentment, if you could call it that. And a new emotion…something a little like lust flowed from this woman, radiating from her very being. I didn't sense the slightest bit of happiness in her. Not in the least. And I could only wonder why she seemed to hate me. Or I assumed she hated me. It couldn't be anyone else she directed her anger to. We were alone, after all.

Her eyes were as wild and untamed as her hair, and they bored into me. It wasn't the same as Bella when she glanced at me. This was pure, unfiltered malice toward me. And I couldn't comprehend _why_.

But, as much as her eyes and her emotions told me she despised me, there was a smile curving her round mouth.

I wasn't sure what I should say - not to mention that I had no clue what to _think _at a moment like this.

She said nothing, only shot forward, and was in my face within a matter of milliseconds. I stumbled back, almost falling backwards, but the strange woman's arm flew out and her icy fingers gripped my wrist with crushing force. I was all of a sudden reminded of what Bella had done to those thugs in the alley, and suddenly I felt terrified.

I winced, trying my best to not scream. I was confused, and a mess and this woman was _crushing _my bones, it seemed.

Her grip was icy cold - like _death_. Like freezing, inevitable _death_, and I wondered what that meant for me.

The ruby eyes in front of me glittered dangerously and I tried to struggle, but she twisted my arm at an odd angle and I yelped, despite my intent to not let this…_woman _get to me. If she was really just a woman, which I was beginning to doubt every second.

The wicked smirk that was curving her lips was like a scythe, and I found myself involuntarily shuddering.

I found my voice, surprisingly enough, and choked out, "What do you want?"

I couldn't move my hand from her grip - it was so tight, _too tight_, the bone of my wrist should be pulp by now. I struggled and struggled, but her hand was clenching, clenching, _clenching_…

I thought about screaming out, but who would come?

She reached forward, her long nails scraped along the length of my cheek, cutting into the flesh there, as if toying with me. My heart was beating rapidly in my chest, and I was pretty sure she could hear it as well, for her grin widened into something short of maniacal.

I felt the blood drip from the lengthy cut on my face, and she brought her finger to swipe over the generous amount of blood flow. She looked at it and smiled at me before slipping the digit into her mouth and closing her eyes, as if tasting something particularly delicious. My eyes widened in disgust as I tried to flail about, thrashing against her iron hard grip and cursing, "What the _hell _is your problem! Let me go, _fuckin'_ let me _go_!"

She squeezed and twisted at my already mangled arm and I outright screamed.

Her palm then scraped across the cut, gathering more blood, which she greedily lapped like some kind of dog. She was clearly restraining herself for some reason. It looked like she wanted to sink her damn teeth into my throat, but she didn't. Maybe she still held on to that facet of her sanity.

Then, the hand that had crushed my wrist was around my throat, _squeezing…_

"Victoria's my name."

I gasped for air as she tightened her grip, my throat making strange gurgling sounds and I clawed at her arms. I was completely helpless…at the mercy of whatever the hell this person was. She was going to kill me, and I couldn't do a damn thing to save myself.

Instead of crushing my windpipe like I knew she was capable, she loosened her grip and leaned into me, her scent washing over me like some kind of sick perfume, sweet and not wholly unappealing, but to me at the moment there was nothing more disgusting than her smell around me.

"I'm sparing you today. You're fun to toy with." She grazed her teeth against the skin of my unmarred chin, as if savoring the scent of a particularly vibrant bouquet, "But, when I come for you, for _good_, then I dare your little _Cullen _to try and stop me."

Cullen? Did she mean…Bella?

"_I dare her._"

With those words whispered harshly into my ear, she threw me backwards, and I landed roughly at the bottom of a tree, knocking my head rather affectively and seeing stars.

And with a breeze of cold wind and a cackling laugh, she was gone, leaving me with a bloodied cheek and even more confusion than I had when I left my desecrated room that morning.

I just sat there, staring out into space, for what seemed like forever. The dew from the trees that had collected after many rainy mornings pattered down on my hair slightly, and I wondered idly if I should get up and try to explain why I had bruises on my throat and why there was a cut the size of Lord knows what on the side of my face. Oh, yeah, can't forget the blood smeared all over the place either!

I was jolted out of my dazed reverie by strong hands that I instinctively pushed away, shouting some nonsense and cursing, but then realizing that it was _Bella_.

Her golden eyes were big and round with concern as she took in my state. There was nasty, purpling bruises on my wrist and forearm as well as on my neck. I could practically feel the pulsating flesh turn color as I sat there, almost comatose against the trunk of the tree, feeling the blood run down my face.

"Jasper, Jasper…_Jasper_!" She shouted, lightly slapping the injured side of my face. I hissed at that, and realized finally where I was, getting out of my confused stupor.

"Bella…" I mumbled her name as my eyes focused on hers.

She immediately looked relieved that I could at least talk to her, but then her attention focused on the blood that covered her dainty hand - _my blood_.

"Oh, God…" I exhaled as I looked at her. I felt my stomach start to clench and unclench with a strange array of spasms and I suddenly felt nauseas.

Bella put her hand on mine as her eyes drifted to the crimson liquid that covered her palm. Her eyes were wide and her nostrils inhaled the scent. In that moment, she looked absolutely inhuman. Almost exactly like the fiery haired woman who had been there just minutes ago. But instead of licking the substance from her hand, she growled at herself and wiped it on the grass beside her, her teeth gritting in an apparent struggle with self control.

But…_why_?

"You've only been gone for fifteen minutes…" She said in a strained tone, her eyes clearly upset with herself. But for what, I wasn't sure. "But I heard you scream…"

She heard me? How did she hear me scream? I was…so far away from her, and my scream wasn't even all that loud.

"I didn't think it was anything to be worried about, but…you didn't show up…and…" She growled at herself, a deep, primal grunt from within her usually delicate exterior.

There were suddenly two other figures by her side, handing her a wet cloth and a bandage to go over the deep scratch on my cheek. She dabbed at the cut with the cloth and cleaned the dried blood from my face and neck.

My eyes focused to see that the other two people were indeed Edward and Alice, who were looking at me with concern blatant on their features. I didn't have time to feel glad that they cared about what had happened, for I was just so…_tired_. Exhausted would be a better word, I suppose. My mind was foggy and I couldn't think straight. The frightening experience I had just had would drain anyone of energy, and especially when I didn't know what was attacking me, or why the woman - _Victoria_, she said her name was - relished in tasting my blood.

I shivered involuntarily at the mental picture that followed the thought - her licking her fingers clean, before working on the palm of her hand.

It was so…_messed up_.

I saw Edward tense - or at least I thought he had tensed. It could have been my mind playing tricks on me. The back of my head was throbbing from where it conked against the tree. I reached back and there, sure enough, was blood coating my fingertips. I groaned and leaned back on the tree, my eyes feeling very heavy all of a sudden.

"Who did this to you, Jasper." Bella said, more a statement than a question, her eyes serious and compassionate as they gazed into mine.

I'm such a fucking _girl_.

"Girl…" I said, my eyes threatening to close on me, "Red hair."

Bella said something else, and Edward mumbled something to her, while Alice looked on in curious contemplation, her eyes strangely blank as she stared in front of her, her hands clasped on the fabric of her loose jeans.

"Liked…blood."

That statement caused all of them to tense, and I wondered why.

My head was killing me, so I couldn't linger on any thought for too long without it hurting more than it was.

Bella was saying something, and I tried to hold on to her voice, as if that would keep me from losing consciousness, which is what I felt I was about to do. I focused on her voice, her sweet, tinkling voice, and tried to stay away.

But all of that was in vain, for my eyes slipped closed and I felt darkness surround me.

* * *

_**End Chapter Fourteen.**_

_And there's chapter fourteen! It seems like it's been a while since I've updated, but maybe that's because I've been writing a lot of oneshots and things that didn't revolve around this fic. But yeah, here's the latest chapter and I hope y'all liked it! It was a rather fun one to write. Some action happening now. Haha, and that makes me happy, even if there was a bit of Jasper-whumping. Poor Jazzy-poo. Oh, how I love him. Haha._

_Anyway, I hope to read your comments, so if you would review, that would be very much appreciated. I really love all of my reviewers - they are what keep this story going! _

_Thanks again!_


	16. His Protector

_**Disclaimer:** __I don't own Twilight._

_Alright, here's the next chapter of this fic of mine. I'm so glad that everyone likes it so far, and I can't wait to hear everyone's opinions for this chapter! There's not much else I can say, except enjoy!_

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* * *

**

**Long Road to Ruin  
****Chapter Fifteen: His Protector**

* * *

**Bella.**

Rage.

That was the only word I could think of to describe what I felt at that moment, as I watched Jasper pass out right in front of me.

It is something that I had never felt in such an intense, concentrated manner. It was as if a film of red had slipped in front of my eyes, as if the irises of my newborn state were reflected outward, casting everything crimson in color.

I hadn't realized I was growling until Alice's soft hand found its way onto my stony shoulder.

"Bella, calm down."

I looked over to her, my eyes wide and angry in my head, the growl sounding deep inside my chest, rumbling around like a storm was coming.

In a way, it was.

"Did she bite him?" I asked, knowing that was a foolish question. If he had been bitten, he'd be screaming in pure, unadulterated agony now instead of laying there peacefully. Peaceful, but bruised and bleeding. The sweet nectar of his blood would normally call out to me, but at the moment I was to engrossed in worry to care.

Edward stepped forward, "No."

Alice confirmed this by saying, "Nothing in the future showed that he was bitten at this moment."

I froze, my joints locking up, but I didn't comment. _At this moment? _What the hell did that mean? Alice usually kept her visions to herself, unless she was being annoying about a party or it was something extremely serious, but this…this revelation shocked me. Her slight slip up caused every muscle in my body to still, as if doused by ice water.

Did she see Jasper changing in the future?

Shaking my head, I groaned and stepped forward, ignoring the constant barrage of his sweet smelling blood on my senses, and scooped him into my arms with surprising ease. It must've looked awkward, so I ended up hefting him onto my back, his limp arms clasping around the column of my neck and his knees locked with my elbows.

I ran.

The sound of Edward and Alice's footsteps greeted me, and then we were joined by Rose and Emmett. At the moment I could think of nothing other than getting Jasper to see my father. He might not have paternity rights over me, but he was my father in this life, as his wife was my mother.

In no time I was at the remote little house in the middle of the woods that the Cullen clan called home for the time being. Carlisle was on the top floor, along with Esme, I could tell, so I jumped through his open window. He must've heard me coming, for he was glancing at me the moment I entered.

"Oh dear!" Esme exclaimed, clasping a hand over her mouth as she took in the sight of me, along with my morbid package.

"Bella, what's this - oh." He interrupted himself as he saw the bundle of broken human on my back. Running a pale hand through his equally pale blonde locks, he ran his eyes over his form. His nostrils contracted for a second, smelling whatever scent lingered on Jasper before he raced over, his delicately powerful hands taking Jasper from me and laying him on his desk.

"Vampire." He muttered underneath his breath as he looked over Jasper's form.

If my heart were beating, I'm sure it would be pounding by now.

"Bite?" I asked tentatively.

"No."

I felt relief wash over me like a wave.

"She did cut him…" Carlisle's long index finger trailed the side of his face, "And from the looks of these smudges, she wiped it away, most likely for the purposes of drinking _without _turning him."

But…why?

I couldn't think of any remote reason that a vampire could be able to control the bloodlust enough to scare a human to death just by feeding off of him right in front of his eyes. Why…I couldn't understand…

Unless.

My memories flashed behind my eyes, like a film fading to a flashback. The scent of Jasper's intruder pervaded my nostrils, and then was compared to the scent that was currently all over him. My vampire brain put it together in a flash.

_They were the same person._

The vampire who had invaded the privacy of Jasper's home was the same vampire who had attacked him in the forest.

I hadn't realized my fingers were crushing the wooden surface of Carlisle's desk until his kind hand pressed against the cool surface of my own, "Bella, honey, I need this desk."

Blinking out of my rage-induced blindness, I felt like a child getting caught doing something stupid and removed my hand, "Sorry."

Carlisle nodded, looking over Jasper once again, "Nothing's been broken. Just that bruise on his wrist is pretty nasty. And I think there are some cuts on his back." He lifted Jasper's still body up and hefted his shirt up, "Yeah. And some major bruising here as well. She must've thrown him against something…"

My growling was suddenly the most prominent thing in the room.

"Damn, little sis is getting all protective. Cute." Emmett said from the corner of the room. And then I remembered that my entire family followed me here as well. If I were human, I would be blushing.

I turned to him and tried to put a friendly smirk on his face, "Want me to beat you in arm wrestling again? Or _any _kind of wrestling, for that matter?"

His jolly face suddenly sank, and he pouted in a manner only reserved for five-year-olds. "You cheated."

"Sure I did." I turned back to Carlisle, who had now cut the shirt from Jasper's body. He didn't even seem affected that the boy was bleeding all over his new desk.

The room had cleared out, leaving only Carlisle and I. Alice was the newest member of our family, and she still had a couple of problems dealing with blood. But I was the newest after her. My control was still developing, but I couldn't seem to think of the blood when Jasper was lying there, hurting and broken on the table.

"Are you sure you can handle being here?" Carlisle asked, looking at me concernedly.

I nodded. "I'll be fine."

I could only hope the same for Jasper.

* * *

After about an hour, Jasper was bandaged, but still unconscious. He was still breathing, and that was a relief. I was glad that he at least hadn't been turned, or killed, by the vampire whose name I had yet to find out.

Carlisle sent me downstairs to get him a spare shirt. I was to drive him home, somehow give his mother an explanation as to why he was so beat up, and find a way into his room to watch over him. Of course, none of my other family knew about this plan, but I was sure Alice would see it already.

I walked abnormally fast to my parents' room to find Esme sitting on the bed, reading a book with no interest visible on her features. It was as if she were just putting on a façade just so I thought she was reading a book, and she wasn't really waiting for me. Which she was. Despite being a vampire, Esme wasn't too good of a liar. I guess that's another thing we had in common.

"Hey, sweetie." Esme said, her voice oozing with the unintentional motherly affection. She didn't act the part - she _was _the part. "Everything going okay?"

Her voice was overtly casual, and I smiled gingerly at her, "Jasper's fine. I just need one of Carlisle's shirts for him."

Esme smiled at me. She rose from the bed with an unnatural grace, her caramel brown locks bouncing slightly as she made her way over to the drawers and brought out a white button down shirt. "Here you go."

I took it from her hands, "Thanks."

I turned to walk away when her voice stopped me, "Bella…"

"Yes?"

"I can tell you care for him so much already." Esme said, completely catching me off guard, "I can tell this is _it_, if you can understand. And I just want you to be careful. Remember Edward and Alice, and what they went through."

Of course, Edward and Alice. Who could forget _that_?

"Thank you, Esme." I said, appreciative, and knowing what she meant when she said the word _it_ in the loving, caring, happy tone that she did. It wasn't something that was explainable, or rational. But once a vampire finds a mate, that's it. The person the vampire is attracted to, or _in love with_, is the one strong pillar in their lives. Vampires are unchanging, and their emotions are similar to that. I guess I was doomed from the moment I saw Jasper all these years later, in that classroom, as soon as our eyes reconnected in that one moment.

I guess I should be happy, that this is _it _for me. Carlisle had Esme, Emmett had Rosalie, and Edward had Alice. I had been the odd one out for the majority of my existence. It never truly bothered me, but sometimes I got the urge to have someone. To have the utter devotion that Carlisle and Esme shared. To have the playful conversations that Em and Rose had. To be so utterly enraptured in new romance like Edward and Alice…

_Foolish. _I had thought at the time, but now that Jasper was in my life, I couldn't think it so.

The shirt crumpled in my hands as I locked eyes with the adoptive mother that I now called my own.

"Now go," Esme said softly, waving a hand in a loving, graceful way, "Don't keep Jasper waiting."

I smiled at her, this time brighter than I intended. It felt odd on my face after a day filled with anger, but the prospect of helping Jasper excited me, now that he was out of harm's way.

I left from the room, my feet not making a sound against the floor of the house, and entered Carlisle's study. He was looking at me kindly, and said, "Well, it seems Esme has given you my newest shirt."

I looked down, and sure enough, the tags were still on it. In a swift movement, I ripped them off and placed them on the table as he held Jasper up so we could dress him. I tried to ignore the rippling of his rock hard chest, as well as the slight seeping through of the blood on the bandages of his back. There was a bandage on his cheek as well, where the scratch occurred. He still looked disheveled, but at least he was bandaged up and on his way to healing.

Carlisle buttoned up the last of the buttons on the front of the shirt and picked him up, cradling him in his arms. Then we jumped out of the window and landed on the soft earth, not an imprint of our feet visible at all. We sprinted to my car; Edward and the others had gone back to school to drive them back home. Carlisle put Jasper in the backseat before getting into the passenger seat.

_Right_, it would look weird if a petite girl was carrying a teen boy on her shoulders without any sign of exertion. Carlisle would look less suspicious.

I drove out of the driveway, pulling out of the tree covered pathway that led to the house, and getting onto the street. It was silent in the car as we drove, Carlisle commenting every now and then that Jasper seemed like a strong young man, but even the strongest sometimes can't deal with emotional turmoil, of which there would be plenty after the attack he had just suffered.

I had to keep my breathing steady to stop myself from worrying.

I turned onto his driveway, parking right behind his mother's car. I then realized that he also left his car at school. I also realized it was rather late, the cloudy day darkening into night around us.

Carlisle hefted Jasper on his shoulders without the slightest trouble, as was expected, and we both walked to the door.

Funny how this would be the first time I would officially meet his mother…

It was open before I had the chance to knock, and I was faced with the worried, frantic expression of Mrs. Whitlock.

"Jasper! What the hell happened?" Her identical chocolate brown eyes darted from me to Carlisle. Her blonde hair was messy, flying out in every direction. Despite her current appearance, she was very pretty for a human. And she looked very much like Jasper. I could only wonder what his father looked like.

"I'm afraid there was an accident." Carlisle explained, but then quickly amended when he saw that the worried mother was about to protest, "Nothing major. Jasper's fine, Mrs. Whitlock. He just got a bit roughed up during football practice. They thought he had a concussion, but he's perfectly fine."

Her eyes rested on the face of her son, the mop of honey blonde hair, closed eyes, and slope of his nose the only thing visible from above Carlisle's strong shoulder. "So he's going to be fine?" Her tone was calmer now.

"Yes, ma'am." I said, wanting her to notice my presence for some reason. I wanted to be real to her, wanted her to know that I cared deeply for her son.

Her eyes seemed to finally register our inhuman appearance, and a blush threatening to grace her cheeks. I could hear the blood rush faintly through her veins, her heart pumping, her breathing slow slightly from the frantic pace before. She asked, "Are you in Jasper's class?" A wondering tone to her voice.

I nodded, "I'm one of his friends, yes. Bella Cullen. Nice to meet you, Mrs. Whitlock."

Realization dawned on her face. No doubt she'd heard about the Cullens move to the small town of Forks. "So you must be Carlisle Cullen. The new doctor, right?"

Carlisle smiled at her and nodded, "Yes."

"Well, ain't that a kick in the head. Nice to meet y'all." Her Southern accent was apparent, just like her son's and I immediately found it charming. Then, the newness of our appearance was forgotten, and she looked at her son, her mood immediately dropping with worry. "Could you please bring him in?"

Carlisle didn't question it. Despite her vibrant appearance, we could see that she was slightly frail, possibly on medication to help with that.

"Here, I'll show you to his room." She said, leading us up the stairs.

We followed her into Jasper's room, which was still in disarray from the night before, "Oh, dear. I'm sorry it's such a mess…I really don't know what happened, but something's been bothering him lately. I'm sure almost having a concussion should do wonders." Her sarcasm made me smile, but I hid it. I didn't want her thinking I was taking pleasure from her son's pain. Because that was far from the case.

Carlisle laid Jasper on his bed, tucking the covers around him, and looked over to Mrs. Whitlock. "I would say check on him every hour, just to see if there's any change. If there is, call me."

He handed Mrs. Whitlock a card with his number on it. She took it from him in her grateful hands and looked down at it, "Thank you, Dr. Cullen."

"It's my job," Carlisle said as he unruffled the messy covers, laying Jasper beneath them, before pulling them loosely over his still form. His bedside manner was admirable. If I had to deal with as many fake patients who only pretended to be sick just because I was attractive, I think I'd go insane.

I allowed myself to let my eyes roam around his room, taking in the damage, particularly the scratches on the window that made their way down, carving into the wall.

Jasper's words suddenly rang through my body.

"…_like someone had taken their hand and __**clawed**__…"_

I saw his shuddering face in the back of my mind as the words bounced around my brain, bringing terrible images with it.

Mrs. Whitlock was looking affectionately at her son, her soft brown eyes conveying the very motherly love I felt from Esme earlier in the day.

If only she _knew _what her son had just encountered…

I shook my head, and looked at Carlisle, giving him the signal that I wanted to get out of here so I could sneak in and watch over him - what a convoluted sentence that was.

We said our goodbyes, and Mrs. Whitlock said her thank yous.

Then we parted, and I had to figure out what I was to do with the recent developments.

* * *

Nighttime fell faster than I had ever felt it, even with all the years of my existence.

His window was left unlocked, so it was rather easy to jimmy it open with my unnatural strength.

The moonlight crept in behind me as I stepped over the threshold of the window and into the room. He was still sleeping, and now his features were bathed with the pale light of the spherical moon behind me.

I stealthily maneuvered myself to his bedside. He had turned on his stomach, his arms buried beneath the pillow his head was laying on, splayed out in front of him. One of his legs was freed from the confines of the tangled blanket, and it twitched slightly from the breeze of the open window. Realizing my mistake, I moved back to the window, closed it, and then resumed my position beside Jasper.

The cut on his cheek was hidden, leaving the bare side of his cheek visible, and the moon played off of that as well, giving that a strange, creamy, attractive sheen. His plump lips were parted, and I could hear the whistling of breath as he drew in, then let it out.

His eyelids fluttered, and for a moment I thought he was waking. My muscles tensed and I looked to race to the door and down the stairs. But he stayed sleeping, only rolled over, scratching his stomach in an endearing way, and then breathing, low and unintentional.

"_Victoria._"

My eyes widened so far that I was sure they'd take up the expanse of my head if I let them.

Victoria?

Who was _she_?

I was flooded with jealousy. This woman, this unknown, this woman who I had no clue about, was in Jasper's thoughts, and I didn't know why. Certainly I'd have met someone who was influential in his thought process.

Then, I was filled with disgust.

Disgust at my own self.

Who was I to think that I should be relevant enough to be in Jasper's dreams?

Who was I to think that I actually _deserved _such a place in his mind?

Was I so _arrogant_?

I felt my hands ball themselves into fists, horrified at my own self-centeredness. I shouldn't be worried about _that_. I should be worried about Jasper.

Jasper…

And, just like that, automatically, my worries overwhelmed me.

My laser-like vision roamed over his body, looking over his form, searching for any abnormality that could have occurred while I was gone. There was nothing, for which I was grateful.

And then, out of the blue, he voiced another name. This one different than before, and more familiar, because it was my own.

"_Bella._"

And my world calmed.

Through the chaos, the confusing feelings, the constant sense of dread and despair that had been around in the last two days, had all been lifted at the drop of a hand, at the drop of a _name_.

A small smile quirked his lips as he rolled over yet again, kicking even more of the blanket from his body.

Something wild and possessive took control of me then. I wanted to preserve his peacefulness, to let him have his teenage years back, without all of the drama caused by my lifestyle, and me bringing this on him.

I would protect him.

I would be his savior in bloodied armor, as ludicrous as that sounded.

I leaned over his sleeping body and grabbed the blanket that had been tossed aside. I gathered it in my hands and spread it over his body, and he relaxed.

I would save him from anything.

Even, if at one point, that included myself.

* * *

_**End Chapter Fifteen.**_

_And there y'all have it! The fifteenth installment of this little fic of mine. I hope everyone enjoyed it. It was something that I had to write - the after effects of Jasper's encounter with Victoria. And here it is. I hope y'all liked it!_

_I don't really have much else to say except GEAUX SAINTS!! (random, yes, but I don't care lol)_

_Thanks for reading!_


	17. The Question

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Twilight!_

_Thanks so much for your reviews for the last chapter! I really enjoyed reading them and I am so glad that everyone enjoyed the last chapter. So, here's the next one, which I hope will be just as liked as the last! Enjoy!_

* * *

**Long Road to Ruin  
****Chapter Sixteen: The Question**

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**Jasper. **

God, my head hurt.

I blinked my eyes open, only to see darkness in every direction I looked. I moved my fingers slightly, feeling the familiar texture of the sheets I slept in every night. Rolling over, I tried to get my eyes adjusted to the new lighting in my room. There was nothing to notify me of any presence in my room, except the soft lighting of the moon that seeped in through my window.

Then, I saw it.

I wasn't sure at first what it was, it was too dark at first, but once my eyes adjusted, I could clearly see the outline of a woman standing in the window.

I shot up in a flash, but she didn't move. I felt my heart start to race in my chest, beating wildly and out of control.

"_But, when I come for you, for good, then I dare your little __**Cullen **__to try and stop me."_

Those words rushed into my head and I rustled the covers, shooting out of the bed and trying my best to run to the door. I knew it was in vain. I saw how that woman - Victoria - moved, and I knew that I couldn't outrun her, but that didn't override the instinct for survival in me.

I tripped over my own feet, which had gotten tangled in the sheets. Giving a loud gasp as I hit the floor, I braced myself with my palms, and felt my back contract in pain as I landed.

"Jasper!"

That voice was familiar, but not the overtly sinister on of the red haired woman who seemed to hate me so.

Righting myself, I looked up to the kind, caramel colored eyes of Bella.

_Bella?_

The contrast in her face and the woman who I expected to be there was striking.

Her cold hand was wrapped around my wrist with a pressure that was hard, but not uncomfortable. She helped me to my feet and looked me in the eye as she helped keep me steady.

"You're awake."

"Barely." I scoffed sarcastically.

She led me over to the bed, and sat me down. I could only look at her in awe, trying to make her features out in the darkness of the room. My mind was whirling with all of what had happened. I couldn't figure out why she was in my room, or better yet, _how _she got in my room.

All I could feel was…_numbness_.

She kneeled in front of me, her hands on my knees, looking into my eyes with barely a hint of embarrassment at being caught in my room.

"How…I don't understand…why…_what_?"

"Shh," She said, reaching up to press a lone finger to my lips, "you've been through a lot today, Jasper. Just calm down."

I reached over and wrapped my hand around her wrist, the cold immediately seeping through my skin, feeling like I just grasped a flagpole in the midst of winter.

It was quiet for a moment, my harsh breathing from my sudden fright the only thing that filled the room. Seeing Bella's face was a soothing salve to the wounds opened by the encounter today, but I couldn't rid the harsh red eyes and the sinister smirk of Victoria from my mind.

I moved her hand from my face and spoke, finally finding the words, "How are you in my room, Bella?"

It seemed to take me forever to let those words slip from my mouth, but they were finally loose and I looked directly into her eyes, trying to see whatever she might not tell me.

"The window."

A chill ran down my spine as I remembered the last time the window had been used as an entry point for any other being.

"The…window…" I repeated, my voice sounding hollow and unused as I try to back away from the one person who I think might just be my saving grace.

She grasped my knee, the freezing force of her fingers almost paralyzing me, but there was something else…this monstrous strength that lied within her, that kept me from moving back any further. It frightened me for a moment, but I tried to push it to the back of my mind. Any rational thought was out the window as soon as her golden eyes locked onto my face.

"I needed to look after you."

My heart started to flutter within my chest as I processed her words.

"_Why_?" The question left my mouth before I had time to contemplate whether to voice it or not.

A bitter smile crossed her lips and she looked flustered for a moment. The look that she gets when she is supposed to be blushing, but not a streak of color every crosses her cheeks. It is one that I know well.

"Victoria." She voiced, though she looked to be holding back things.

"I'll be fine, Bella." I replied, looking at her with a look that I hoped was determined.

"She's been in your room before, Jasper." Bella said, her eyes intense and for a moment, I saw the look of a predator in them. "She found you at school. She…_she could have killed you today_, Jasper. Or worse."

My mind was reeling from her words. That Victoria woman could have killed me? Though I admit it was strange that she seemed to enjoy lapping up my blood and had inhuman strength…she said she had no intention of killing me…

_Yet._

That's right. She was toying with me, and when she would finally come for me…

According to her, when she would come for me, Bella wouldn't be enough to stop her.

Despite the sporadic beating of my heart, I managed to say, however shakily, "I'll be fine."

Her eyes narrowed and she stood up, so fast that my eyes barely caught the movement. I almost fell backward onto my bed with the resulting shock of seeing her move so much like Victoria. It reminded me that I had yet to figure out what she was.

Not human, I knew that.

Not ghost, she had confirmed that.

"I'll be around." She said, as if something I had said offended her.

"Wait, Bella…I'm sorry…" I said, though I had no clue what I was apologizing for.

A smile appeared on her lips, though it was bitter and self-loathing, "You don't understand how dangerous we can be, Jasper. What we are…isn't something you can protect yourself from. You're too _weak_. Let us take care of this."

She moved to the window and opened it in one swift motion. I was in awe at that motion, because when I had to open the window, it usually took a fair amount of elbow grease and several curse words…

"I hate to say this," Bella started, her eyes distant and wondering as they landed on mine. Even through the dim moonlit surroundings I see the intense expression. "but try _harder_."

"I don't understand…"

"Some things don't just fall into your lap, Jazz." Her voice wrapped around my nickname and I shuddered, "And finding out our secret is not one of them."

I was stunned into silence. The only thing I was seemingly capable of doing was staring at her like a moron.

She smiled a little exasperatedly before sitting on the windowsill. The moonlight bathed her in its glow and she grinned at me. She motioned to me with a finger and I wondered if I was dreaming.

Shakily, I rose from my bed and wandered over to the window where the woman sat. Her eyes held a mischievous glint in them and I wondered why she was calling me over to her. Her eyes were on mine, not moving, not flinching. Permanence seeped in her glance as she gazed at me.

I was face to face with her, so close I could smell the sweetness of her, the atmosphere seemed to crackle.

Bella leaned forward, placing her freezing hand on my shoulder, and brought herself to my ear, whispering gently, "Hint."

I quirked a brow, looking at her as my heart thundered within my chest.

Our eyes met for a brief moment…

Then she flung herself backwards out of my second story window.

"Bella!" I reached out to try and grasp her, but she easily maneuvered out of my reach.

_Shit. I made a girl kill herself! _I thought, eyes wide, mouth agape.

But she didn't fall helplessly.

She did quite the opposite.

She did a back flip, like some perfect kind of acrobat, twirling and whirling through the air like something out of a movie. She flipped backwards twice before landing gently on her feet without a sound. I stuck my head out of the window and looked down at her with wide eyes. She smiled up at me, gave a grin, and then ran away at lightning speed.

Shocked to the core, all I could do was stare out the window until I finally managed to stumble my way back to my bed and feign sleep.

* * *

My eyes were bleary when I woke up the next morning. They stung when I opened, probably partly to my lack of sleep, but the other half must have been the sunny weather outside.

It was so _bright_.

Unusual for a day in Forks to be this sunny. Even looking outside, I could tell that it was going to be one of those sunny, slightly cool days.

As I went through my morning routine of getting ready, I saw the signs of battle from yesterday with Victoria. Bruises were forming on my neck, which I could do nothing about. My head hurt like a son of a bitch and the scratches…well, there was nothing I could do about that either. Just leave the band-aid on my cheek and work it out.

I checked on my mom, who was as cheery as ever, but terribly worried. She doted on me more than usual. She actually insisted that I stay home, but I didn't take her advice. I had too much on my mind.

The image of Bella falling from my window like it was nothing entered my head every time I tried to close my eyes last night, and even now, I couldn't leave that train of thought.

There were so many things I wanted to ask her.

So when I got to school and saw that Bella wasn't there, I was shocked. None of her family were at school either.

They were all absent.

As I sat casually on top of one of the picnic tables at break, my elbows resting on my knees while Jessica threw her hair sassily over her shoulders and thrust her breasts outward in a pathetic attempt to gain my attention, I could only wonder _why_.

Tyler lay on the table on the other side of me, his arms resting like a pillow beneath his head. His eyes were closed in mirth and a smile played on his lips as he let the rays of the rare Forks sun bathe him.

"Aw, get that dejected puppy look off of your face, Jazz."

I looked down at him with a skeptical look on my face, "The hell?"

"Bella will be back tomorrow."

I felt Jessica tense beside me.

"I'm not worried about Bella." I scoffed, flopping down on the hard wood of the table and taking on a pose similar to Tyler's.

"Sure."

I ignored Tyler's snide comment and focused my thoughts on thinking about what Bella's secret could be.

Maybe it _was_ time for a bit of research.

* * *

Another day of sun followed, and Bella was absent yet again.

My homework was piling up on my desk in my room, unfinished and neglected.

In its place, however, was a list.

Scribbled on a piece of notebook paper, I had written down the various…_things _that had been displayed to me by Bella. I had racked my brain to figure list all of the things that I thought were unnatural about her - and some about Victoria - and I had compiled a list.

1. Doesn't age  
2. Super strength  
3. Gold eyes (Bella)  
4. Red eyes (Victoria)  
5. Pale  
6. Unnaturally cold skin  
7. Graceful  
8. Can fall from second story windows and make it look like a acrobatic stunt.

A wry smile quirked my lips as I read the last one.

9. Is interested in a "weak human" like myself.

I thought that maybe once I wrote everything down, my brain would work faster. I'd never been a model student, but I made decent enough grades. I wasn't stupid, like most jocks who only got by because the teachers passed them because it was needed for the school to succeed.

I tapped the pencil on my desk as I tried to think of more things…

I sighed as the cut on my cheek started to sting. I had taken the bandage off after I had showered, leaving the wound exposed. I probably should put another bandage on…

Reaching up, I touched the scratch and felt that it was bleeding yet again. Groaning, I made my way to the bathroom and wiped the blood from the cut. The crimson fluid stained my fingertips and I groaned as I ran them underneath the faucet.

It hit me then.

I rushed back to the room, something clicking in my brain for what seemed like the first time since I woke up from my unconscious state just a few days ago.

Scribbling furiously, I wrote down the thing I had forgot to place.

10. Blood drinker

The image of Victoria relishing the taste of my blood was seared permanently into my brain. I had done a good job of blocking it out lately, but right now it was front and center in my conscious.

My brain was whirring, fast and technical, so much so that I was developing a headache.

Alert and focused now, I turned on my computer, bringing up a search engine, and typed in the very words that were now etched into my mind.

_Blood drinker._

I was shocked with what I found.

* * *

Things like that aren't supposed to exist.

The next day was back to normal. Typically cloudy, dreary Forks.

And I had it.

I felt in my bones, through my very being, that I knew what she was.

She was back today, as well.

I saw her across the crowd of students that were hanging out in the parking lot. I saw her standing with her family, looking as pristine and beautiful as ever. The wind picked up and blew her hair around her features, and our eyes met from across the lot.

I just stared at her.

The bell rang, bringing with it the promise of a new school day. One that I was sure would be filled with strain.

Class went by fast, strangely enough. I hardly talked to Bella, and when I did, it was strange and tense, as if she knew that I had figured it out. Figured out what she was. Figured out the thing she didn't want me to know the most.

It was strange how confident I was with my assertion about her. I usually would have at least some doubts, and they probably were there, but I just couldn't take the time to dwell on them. I was so sure of myself that the doubts weren't even forefront in my mind.

Before I knew it, I was packing up my stuff after PE and walking outside.

I made my way to the parking lot, my gym bag in tow, car keys in hand, as I walked to my car. I had yet to confront her about it - I thought I would catch her sooner or later, but it never happened, so here I was, all nervous and edgy about something that I just had to get out of my system.

But as soon as I entered the parking lot, I saw her.

Leaning next to my car, I saw Bella, her brown waves immediately made her recognizable, and I felt my heart stutter slightly at the sight of her.

She had a casual stance, leaning slightly on my car, her hip pressed against the side of it, arms crossed beneath her breasts. Her eyes seemed to bore straight into me as I came to a stop in front of her.

"Hey, Bella." I offered in a casual way that even to me sounded forced.

"You've been acting different today." Bella replied, not even phased.

I froze, my hands locking around the strap of my gym bag as I looked into her topaz eyes. They seemed lighter today than they had when I last saw her. It was strange, something that stuck out to me, like when I first met her.

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean, Jasper."

I felt my eyes narrow slightly and I walked around her to get to the door of my car. I unlocked the door and tossed the bag into the backseat. I looked up to find her facing me, and I almost jumped, remembering what she _was_.

"Aren't you going to ask me?"

I paused, my joints seeming to lock up, not wanting me to use them.

"Ask you what?" I replied half-heartedly. Even I knew what she was talking about, but I don't know why she seemed to know.

A bitter smile curled her lips, "Don't play dumb, Jazz."

I bit the inside of my cheek so hard that I tasted blood.

She brought her hand up to cradle the side that I bit, as if she _knew_. And why shouldn't she know? She could sense that of all things, after all. "Don't do that either, okay?"

Her smile was reassuring, kind, and calm, though I could see that there was an underlying hurt in those eyes that I found myself so enraptured with.

A smile curved my lips and she then hardened her gaze in response. That look in her eyes made the smile drop and the atmosphere thicken.

"So." She said shortly, her eyes searching my face for anything unusual.

That made me realize the gravity of the situation.

I searched my mind for the words to say. Something that would try to ease the magnitude of what I had to voice. Something that could skirt around the true meaning. But then I realized that there were no words that could ease the blow of this.

Steeling myself, I asked her the question that had been plaguing my mind ever since the previous night.

"Are you a vampire?"

* * *

_**End Chapter Sixteen.**_

_And there ya go! It's taken longer than expected, but here's the latest chapter of this fic of mine. I hope everyone enjoyed this. I really enjoyed writing it, though I felt kind of a writer's block during it, not to mention college has really been taking up a lot of my time lately. That's something I can't help. But despite all that, here this is! I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter and I would love to hear your feedback!_

_Thanks for reading!_


	18. The Answer and More

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Twilight!_

_Thanks so much for the responses for the last chapter! I appreciate all of your kind words and everything. I still cannot tell you how much the support for this fic means to me, and I am really glad that everyone enjoys this fic. So…here's chapter seventeen!_

* * *

**Long Road to Ruin  
****Chapter Seventeen: The Answer and More**

* * *

**Jasper. **

_I can't believe I just asked her that._

She looked at me, her face full of so many emotions I couldn't even describe them all if I tried. What I did notice was anxiety, but there was also a hint of something else…almost like she knew that I was going to tell her before I even spilled the words from my graceless mouth.

The wind picked up around us, blowing our hair this way and that, marring our faces with the strands. She looked like some kind of goddess straight out of a Greek myth, while I probably looked like some kind of windblown surfer.

Bella let out a long breath, the sweet smell billowed over my face and I inhaled somewhat greedily. Her eyes were closed, long lashes falling on soft cheeks, and I could only stand there and wonder what was going through her mind.

"I suppose you would figure it out sooner or later."

My heart stopped, I swear it.

"I…" I trailed off, looking at her, my eyes scanning over her posture. She was tense, but something about her face was accepting about what I had figure out. Her arms were now at her sides, fists clenched ominously. I wondered if she planned on killing me. That was what vampires did if their secret was found out, right?

_Wasn't it?_

"So you are…" I found myself losing my train of thought yet again. Somehow, I felt wrong saying the word in front of her again.

"Vampire." Bella said, as simply as if she were naming her age.

Oh, there my heart goes again, thundering in my chest.

"Right." I inhaled shakily.

Immediately, Bella's hand was on my shoulder, and her eyes opened and stared straight into mine.

"I'll understand if you want nothing to do with me." She said, as if she had practiced the line in her mind all day.

I was offended.

"Why would you think I wouldn't want anything to do with you?" I said, my voice portrayed every amount of indignation I felt at that moment.

Bella…meant more to me than I had ever thought she would. Even now, as we discussed her being some mythological creature, I couldn't even imagine my life without her in it. It was strange, the pull this woman had on me, and I couldn't deny that I would follow her anywhere.

And something about the way she was looking at me made me think that she felt the same way.

"Do I have to say myself?" Bella's voice was shaky with emotion, and it looked like there should be tears in her eyes. "I am a _vampire_."

"And?" I said, looking at her skeptically, "I'll still want to be with you."

Her eyes widened at my blunt comment, and I wasn't even embarrassed enough to flush. Why be embarrassed when I meant every word, every syllable I spoke? I gave her a grin, and she looked at me with a wondering glance.

"I think you're insane." She stated simply, and a smile washed over her features. It was a relieving sight, to make her smile after she looked so serious a while ago. I felt the tension ease around us, making me feel lighter.

"You wouldn't be the first." I said genuinely, "But, I meant what I said. Every word."

"I know." Bella said, her eyes scanning over my face, "And that scares me."

It was my turn to look.

And I knew she wasn't lying.

She _was _scared.

"You don't need to be." I told her, my eyes not leaving hers, not even for a second. They roamed over her body, and I could feel the intensity in my own gaze. I could only hope that it would convince her that I was right. That she shouldn't be afraid.

"But _you _do."

Oh, great, turn this on me.

"Why?" The protest died in my throat as I remembered fiery red hair and even redder eyes, and the redness of my blood as the intruder lapped it off of her fingers and palm. The realization must have been apparent on my face, for Bella then moved her hand to caress my cheek, looking up at me with her large topaz eyes.

"You already know why." Bella said, and her cold digits made soothing circles on my skin.

My eyes locked on hers and I couldn't realize why she was looking at me with something akin to sadness.

I felt my eyebrows crease into a stubborn line, "Right. Because you're _dangerous_."

"Don't say that so lightly." Bella replied, her face fierce and intense beyond the inhuman perfection, "Because it's true. This isn't a joke."

I was taken aback by her sudden ferocity in the subject, "Bella, Bella," I tried to calm her down by cooing her name, "It's fine. I'm fine. It will all be okay. I wasn't making the situation into a joke."

Her eyes were wild, staring into mine, and I felt as if I would catch on fire just by staring into them. "Of course."

I looked at her, my eyes quizzical and questioning her as she reached out and brushed my cheek with the back of her finger.

I took her hand from my face and held it within my own.

"Come with me." I told her, looking into her eyes. She had the look on her face that notified me she would be blushing if she were human.

"Are you crazy?" She asked, her tone sardonic, but curious, "Do you know - "

"You're not going to hurt me." I told her, looking deep into her eyes to prove my point. I felt like an ass for telling her that, but I felt it had to be done so she'd listen to me. "I know you aren't. If you wanted to, you would have by now."

She looked at me like I didn't know what I was saying, but I just clasped her hand tighter and smiled, "Would you get in the car?"

Blinking, as if she didn't know what was going on, she sighed loud and exasperatedly and moved faster than my eyes could keep up. I was floored for a moment, not expecting her to do that. And she was in my car faster than I could open the door. I shook my head and moved myself into the driver's seat.

Starting up the car, I looked at Bella, who was gazing at me with a quizzical expression on her face. "Can I even ask where we're going?"

I grinned at her, and I can only picture my smile as childish, "Surprise."

She pursed her full lips and narrowed her eyes playfully, "Right."

I put the car in drive and made my way out of the parking lot and onto the road. The destination I had in mind wasn't far, but it was in a rural destination. Somewhere I remembered my mother taking me when I was a child. Somehow, it just seemed natural to go there.

We drove for a while in mostly silence. Every now and then I'd sneak glances at her to see that she was watching my face. Cheeks burning, I would look away each time. Finally, after about twenty minutes, we arrived at my destination.

I stepped out of the car and realized that Bella had been out of her seat longer than it took me to unbuckle my seatbelt. Huh, expect vampires to not wait for chivalry. I walked around to her side and grinned at her toothily. She just stared blankly forward, a confused look on her eternal face.

"We're going _hiking_." Bella said skeptically, looking over at me.

I felt my cheeks color and gave a nervous laugh, scratching the back of my head as I did so - an anxious tick of mine. "Well, it's not necessarily the hike that's gonna be fun, but the destination!"

Her hard topaz eyes appraised me before she looked at the beaten down hiking trail that spread out in front of us.

"I hated hiking when I was human," Bella started, and suddenly I felt like the atmosphere had darkened, "I was always clumsy, tripping over everything." A bitter laugh escaped her throat, "I was in the hospital so many times that every nurse and doctor in the place knew my name."

I was quiet, not knowing what else to say after she had let that slip. It was as if she'd just let me into her soul, with such few words, and I was captivated.

"But I'm quite sure I'm capable now." She turned to me, and her smile was something of wonder. "No need to worry about my breaking anything, after all."

There was a rather large rock sitting conspicuously beside the start of the trail and she moved forward, as if wanting to show me something. I found myself not wanting to take my eyes off of her, as enraptured as I was with her appearance and the sudden childish realization that she was a vampire. It was almost something that I would have been skeptical about if all the facts weren't presented to blatantly in front of me.

Bella turned to me, her eyes alight with something like excitement.

She made it a point to move her hand rather slowly, shaping it into a taut fist, before smashing it down into the rock. Bits and pieces of grey stone smashed in every direction, bounced off of her skin. And she did it without even the slightest effort.

I stared, marveling at her.

"Unless I do that, of course." She smiled, finishing her thought from before.

The vampire looked at me as if expecting my reaction to be frightened, for me to look like a scared kitten.

I don't think my huge grin rewarded her very well.

"That…was the _coolest _thing I've ever seen in my _life_!" I crowed like a frat boy.

She turned to me, shock apparent on her face. "You are the most unusual human…"

I only grinned wider, "I'm a guy. We're impressed by explosions and kick ass fighting moves."

She slapped her forehead and I heard a sound that faintly reminded me of two rocks clinking together. Bella's eyes stayed shut as I watched her. She looked as if she were contemplating something, and then she said, "Okay, so where is this _place _you were going to take me?"

I felt my face light up and I grabbed her arm, not totally unaware that I had just latched onto the wrist of a vampire. The familiar cold seeped through my fingers and I inhaled deeply as I tugged her along. I knew she could've gotten out of my grasp whenever she liked, but all she did was move her hand, so our fingers were intertwined. I felt my heart speed up at the action.

"I could run us there and we'd be there in two seconds." She ventured, turning her head so she could look up at me and grin.

The notion of going fast appealed to me, but I didn't waver in my decision, only gripped her hand tighter, "Nah, I actually like how things are right now."

She smiled, "Me too."

After that, we walked in somewhat silence. The only sound around us were the wind whistling through the trees and the various sounds of birds and insects in the foliage. The canopy of green enveloped us as our feet made their way around the many dips and pits in the ground, over the occasional fallen tree and whatnot.

The path curved and twisted and made its way up and up. Bella's hand was a reminder that I was safe, no matter how much the current situation reminded me of the encounter with Victoria in the woods just two days ago.

We continued to walk, and it wasn't anything spectacular, but I found myself appreciating everything more when Bella was around. Everything seemed clearer, more defined, while her hand was in mine.

I stopped for a moment, halfway up the trail, and turned onto an uncharted path.

"H-Hey, what are you doing?" Bella said, her voice uneasy.

"This is the way to what I want to show to you." I told her matter-of-factly as I continued to tug her along.

"Won't you get lost?"

"Nah, I've been here too many times to get lost." I told her, looking back at her hesitant face, "But you're a vampire, you have extra-senses, don't you?"

She scoffed as she finally followed me into the brush. "Whatever you say."

From there, we walked even farther into the woods, twisting and turning around random bushes and plants, some of which I used as markers to find my way back to the main trail. We kept going upward, though, until we reached the top of the trail. Where the marked path would've reached, would not have shown the magnificence that was right here before my eyes.

Pushing aside several plants, I stepped through them and into the meadow.

It was just as I'd always remembered it. A spot of beauty in the middle of dreary Forks. Flowers grew everywhere, there were no trees to cover the spot from the sun. The grass was a bright, healthy green instead of the mossy look that everything had taken because of the covered area of the town.

I stepped forward, but Bella didn't.

The sun was shining down from where the clouds had parted on this particular area of the woods. It was bright and it filled the whole place with blinding light that was something short of a miracle considering that Forks was the gloomiest town I've ever seen.

She ripped her hand from mine, causing my fingers to throb slightly at the sudden movement. I looked at her and then remembered, "Oh…oh, I'm sorry. I…do you need to leave? Because of the sun and all…"

Bella looked at me, her eyes vibrant and flickering between several emotions. And there was this peculiar feeling in the air, like I could taste her moods changing. Anxiety, excitement, worry, inadequacy…they all bombarded me, almost knocking me from my feet.

"I don't turn to dust in the sun." She said, her voice almost so quiet that I couldn't make it out, "Quite the opposite actually."

"Then you…" I trailed off, not knowing where this was going.

I saw her take a deep breath and step into the light.

The result was something I couldn't even describe.

I remembered vaguely the shimmer of her skin when she saved me when I was younger. I remembered it like it happened only yesterday, but with my new comprehension of what she was, and the sharpening of my mind over the years, I was speechless. I could finally put adequate words to describe her, even if those words didn't do her justice.

The sun hit her, and her skin sparkled. Almost like there were diamonds inset into her skin. Every angle, every ray of the sun that splashed on her skin caused the effect. It was like she was some kind of mythological creature other than a vampire. The name vampire conjured images of blood and death, but as she stepped into the sun, I wondered if that was the case.

She was glowing in front of me, and I could only stare in wonder.

Bella walked to me and placed her hand back into my palm, smiling. "We don't dissolve in the sun. We don't sleep in coffins…almost everything is just conjecture."

The skin of her hand was like marble against my sweaty palm. I hoped that she didn't take too much notice of my nervousness, but I knew that was a foolish wish.

She spoke, and her voice was right in my ear, "Is this the place you wanted to show me?"

Her breath was sweet and cold on my ear, fanning over my face like an oddly comforting blanket. I inhaled greedily, wanting to commit this to memory, and said, "Yeah, but I believe _this_," I motioned to her glittering form, "just trumped my little meadow."

Bella shook her head, as if I was wrong, and then let go of my hand, walking forward into the meadow. I could only feel like I was the luckiest person in the world as I watched her move forward, so graceful that it was certainly inhuman. "No, this is quite nice. I like it better than anything else in this place."

"I could say the same for you." I murmured, but she looked in my direction as if she heard every word.

"You're too kind, Jasper."

She _did _hear it. I'd have to get used to her supernatural senses.

"Nah, nah, just saying the truth, Bella."

Her back was facing me, and I could see as the wind played with her thick mahogany hair, nudging it gently around her features. The sun beamed down on her and the stunning glittering of her skin continued. I couldn't even concentrate on what I wanted to do - and I wanted to do _many _things at this moment.

She was the epitome of everything I'd ever wanted, and so much more. Something I couldn't even describe filled me and made every nerve ending in my body feel more alive than usual.

I walked toward her, carefully, not wanting to disturb her thoughts.

She could hear me, I knew it. Because she heard my murmur half way across the field. She was in the middle of the place, staring out at nothing it seemed. But I maneuvered my way over to her, and she didn't stir. She kept her position, and I heard her sigh as I approached her.

I walked over to meet her face, only to see that her lip was clenched between her pearly white teeth, and her eyes looked to be shiny with tears, but there was no sign of the liquid on her cheeks. No sign of color anywhere. She blinked, and when I expected to see tears trailing down her porcelain cheeks, there were none.

Could vampires not cry?

That question was only a fleeting thought in my head as I watched the brunette in front of me, her eyes so present and yet so distant at the same time. She stared past me and out to the covering of trees that surrounded the meadow. The sun glistened on her skin, casting glittering sparks across the grass, making rainbows off of the dew on the grass itself.

I wanted to do anything to make her feel better, but I didn't know what I could possibly be capable of doing that would help her in any way. I didn't know what was wrong, so how could I possibly have the solution.

"Bella, what's wrong?"

She scoffed, and the sound was becoming all too familiar to me. It was as if she'd rather me not be here than anything. "Don't you see it?" And if it were even possible, I saw the look of anguish increase on her features.

I didn't answer.

"You're _human_." Bella said, her eyes on me, "I don't want to take your life."

"Then don't." I told her simply.

A smirk appeared on Bella's face, and I immediately disliked it. It was something self-loathing and hating on that smirk that made me want to erase it. I didn't know what she was thinking, and oh how I wish I did. It would make everything so much easier. "I'm sure, after everything is said and done, that you would _want _me to take your life, later on."

I was confused, baffled, not knowing what she was talking about. There was something in her eyes, dangerous and sad, that I also didn't like. Bella shouldn't be made to feel that way, and I wondered how and _why _she had suddenly acted like this. I had taken her to the meadow to make her feel better, not for her to suddenly act like the world was ending.

"Listen, I don't know what you're talking about, Bells." I told her simply, running a hand through my hair, "But what you're talking about sounds like the _future_, not the present. And I think that the present right now is more important. Take your time, and then you can think about the future and what me knowing about you truly means."

"I already know." She replied, not missing a beat.

I felt my heart drop at her tone.

It was silent for a while after that.

Her face didn't lighten, not for a moment, despite the fact that she was glowing like some ethereal creature. And I wanted to do something, anything, to help her out of this strange funk she was in.

I took her by her shoulders and looked deep into her strangely shining eyes, shimmering with the tears that would never come. I looked deep into those topaz depths and inhaled deeply, breathing in her sweet scent.

She tensed with my touch on her shoulders, the cold seeping through her clothes and into my palms. Her eyes bored into mine and I wondered what was going through that mysteriously beautiful head of hers.

I didn't say anything, nothing at all. No words could be the signpost for what I was about to do. Nothing could even describe what I felt at this moment.

Leaning down, I met her lips with mine.

And it seemed like the world finally made sense.

* * *

_**End Chapter Seventeen.**_

_And, there ya go! This chapter seemed to take longer and longer to complete, but when I look back to when I last updated, it really hasn't been that long. And, well, anyway, I enjoyed writing this chapter anyway. Haha. I think it was one that needed to be done. A scene similar to the one in the original Twilight, like some others in this fic, but with my own twist to it. Haha. _

_Plus, they finally kissed! I know that's something everyone has been waiting for. Yeah, it took a while for it to get that far, but I felt it necessary. _

_Anyway, I'd love to hear your feedback! I love hearing all of my reviewer's opinions on everything, and I just am so grateful to have so many faithful reviewers! Thanks for reading!_


	19. Broken Reverie

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Twilight!_

_Thanks so much for your reviews for the last chapter! I really appreciate them, and I'm so glad that everyone likes this fic of mine! It makes me so happy to know that everyone is enjoying this story. So…without further wait, here's chapter eighteen!_

* * *

**Long Road to Ruin  
****Chapter Eighteen: Broken Reverie**

* * *

**Bella.**

_Heat._

Volcanic warmth everywhere, on my arms, my legs, and most importantly, on my lips and cheeks.

His large hands cupped the sides of my cheeks, bringing me closer to his inferno. I never knew this feeling before, and just to have the blonde human cradle my face between his caring hands was enough to make me feel so _alive_.

Warmth pooled in my stomach and made its way down, causing me to shiver. It was an odd sensation, being one that I had never felt before.

His lips kneaded mine, carefully. I knew that it must have been like kissing a statue, but I tried my best to not break his jaw when I kissed back so passionately that it surprised even me. How much had I been missing! It was almost ridiculous, this feeling of overwhelming want and desire that bubbled in me just from his kiss.

The whole moment wasn't even ruined by the sweet call of his blood. Though I could hear it racing through his veins like cars on a freeway, I wasn't drawn to it like I should have. There was so much pleasantness around me that I couldn't think about his blood. I had to concentrate on not killing him. Not crushing his skull when I pulled him too close. Not breaking his pelvis when I pressed my hips into his. Not pulverizing his spinal column when I wound my arms around him.

Too much was going on, too much.

I couldn't see anything but him. Couldn't think of anything but him. Of keeping him safe, of wanting to be with him forever.

Of what Edward called the "most selfish desire" when he refused to turn Alice.

In the end, could I turn Jasper?

Only time would tell.

* * *

**Jasper.**

Her hands were cold, hard, and determined, fisted in my hair like I was the solitary object keeping her on solid ground.

Her lips moved against mine. It wasn't what I thought it would be - she wasn't so sweet and yielding. In fact, her lips were dominating and cold, molding against mine without the slightest of trouble, where I had to actually work up a sweat to assert dominance. It was strange. Maybe because she seemed to have so much iron-like strength that I couldn't seem to gain control.

Her breath was around me, clogging my brain, making it hard to think. The sweetness of it was like a nectar.

She breathed my name and I shuddered at the intensity of it all, holding her closer than I thought I was capable of. Her stone-like body was hard, unyielding against mine, and I was certain I'd have a few bruises tomorrow, but at the time, I didn't care.

Then, all too soon, she parted from me.

I did nothing to stop her. If she wanted to stop, then it was her decision and I wasn't going to force the issue.

"Are you alright, Bella?" I asked, my voice soft and breathy. I was worked up despite myself.

"Fine." Her eyes darted around the opening, as if it was suddenly something ominous instead of an innocent, glowing meadow.

My senses caught up to me, and I felt that same sense of overwhelming dread take me over. It was as if their emotions were so strong, with such hatred, that mentally they were holding a blade to my throat.

I felt we had to leave.

Bella apparently felt the same way, for she grasped my hand and said with a forced, light-hearted tone, "Hey, you want to go somewhere else?"

"Like…" I trailed off, wondering what she was getting at. But at the moment I didn't care. The knife was being pressed closer and closer to my throat and I felt panicked all of a sudden.

Like someone was watching us.

How had I not noticed?

"Like anything to get us away from here." Bella said, glancing around the meadow. "I…have a bad feeling."

"Why?" I croaked out, though I knew the reason.

Then, out of no where, the pressure eased. I relaxed without intending to do so, and even Bella seemed relieved. The person - most presumably Victoria - had left us, and I felt the load off of my shoulders.

"Victoria?" I voiced her name with feared reverence, remembering the disturbing sequence of events in the woods just outside the school.

Bella said nothing, her eyes hardened like stones.

That was yes enough for me.

"Let's get you home, Jasper."

And the reality of our first kiss had been blown in the wind, along with the few shreds of sanity I had left.

* * *

I arrived home with a slight feeling of nausea in my stomach, rolling around like I was on some kind of ship. I drove Bella back to the school, so she could get into her own car, and then I continued on my way home. Bella followed, but then turned off on some secluded road. I wondered if that was where her house was…

But then I arrived at my own house, which looked perfectly normal on the outside, but when my mom came to the door before I even opened it, something was strange about her expression - the happiness that gleamed from her eyes. It was an odd thing, like she had just been talking to someone.

"Hey, honey." Mom said, her eyes looking me over gleefully.

"Everything alright, Mom?" I asked her, wondering why she looked so strange and excited all of a sudden, especially when there was some kind of sinister emotions coming from inside the house.

"There's a girl here for you…" She said, her gaze moving to the living room, "I don't think I've ever seen her before, but…she says she knows you."

I froze.

I nodded, confusion etched on my features, as I entered my house.

There, on my couch, sat a woman with eerily familiar red hair, waving down her back in easy curls. Her skin, pale and deathlike, gleamed strangely in the light that was cast from the living room light.

She stared at me with eyes that were blood red.

I stiffened, feeling every muscle in my body contract tightly and painfully. It was almost like seeing the ghost of something in my past I had yet to want to face. Almost like coming face to face with my worst nightmare.

"Victoria." I said, my voice sounding far off, like it was someone else who had voiced it and not myself.

Her lips curled upwards into a smirk that would make even the Cheshire cat jealous. "Jasper, long time no see."

"Funny," I said, feeling bold all of a sudden, "I just saw you the other day."

"Eh, days sometimes feels like years."

"To you, I suppose."

Her eyes glinted at me, turned hard like rubies. "Yes. I suppose."

Mom was staring at us strangely, wondering what the deal was. I supposed Victoria was in here charming her with her beauty and intoxicating glances. She probably thought she was my new girlfriend or something like that. In reality, she was something far more different. Far more dangerous.

Just the thought that Victoria had been in the same room with _my mother _while she was _alone_ was enough to cause a chilling sensation to creep down my spine.

I really wasn't safe.

"Mom, can you let me and Victoria talk alone for a second?" I asked her, looking at her face with what I hoped was a convincing smile.

It obviously wasn't, for my mother's features were distorted with worry at my weak attempt at faking enthusiasm. But it was enough for her. She figured nothing bad would happen when she was in the house. This was just another girl, and I was just going to talk to her. Perhaps let her down easy if she wanted to date me. That's where my mother's head was, obviously.

So I waited for her to leave, and it took her a while, but eventually she left the room and went into the kitchen. I heard the faint sounds of chopping, and the smell of food cooking. Probably soup. I felt my stomach growl despite myself.

"Hungry?" Victoria cheekily asked, "I know I am."

I felt a tight smile grace my lips, "Yeah. I bet you are."

"I'm not here for any real reason." She said, leaning back and putting her feet up on the coffee table. Something that made my stomach twist in disgust - how could she be that casual to the property of someone she didn't even know. Someone that…that she most likely had the intention to _murder_ right here and now.

My heart was pumping in my chest. Fear for myself was secondary. I was more frightened for my poor mother in the next room. She would most likely be the next victim if I were to fall here and now. Witnessed too much. Then, my heart twisted painfully, the grief almost overwhelming me. I had to fight to keep to my feet.

What had I gotten myself into?

"Why are you here then?" I was surprised that I had gotten the words out of my mouth. They were shaky and stuttered, but they were out nonetheless.

"Just to prove a point."

"I think you proved it quite well the other day in the woods." I told her, my accent causing my voice to be unnecessarily sharp.

"Nah, that was the least I could have done." Victoria said smugly, with a smile on her features, "This, however, proves a major point. Anyone could have attacked you in the woods. But, hey, I know where you live. See how easily your mother let me in your house? Southern hospitality sometimes got people killed back in the day…"

"You _stay away _from my mother!" I trembled, suddenly angrier than I had ever been. I don't remember a time in which I had ever been this furious at any one person before in my life.

"Ya see," Victoria drawled, "I don't take orders from you. Not from you, not from anyone. Not since my mate got murdered by those damn _Cullens._"

What? This was news to me. Definite, important news. Maybe this was why she was so intent on making my life a living, miserable hell.

"James was a good man." She continued, "Yeah, he drank human blood like any _normal _vampire would. Not like your little _abominations_ with the golden eyes. I suppose it all went downhill when he found interest in the little one named Alice. She was human when we first saw her. Her blood…_called_ to him, just like it did to her mate. Something undeniable about her blood. The strength of it. Her mate turned her before James could kill her. There was still a fight, and James was lost almost immediately." Her eyes scanned over my form, and she grinned, "That's where you come in."

"I had nothing to do with your _James_." I snapped in incredulity.

"Oh, but you do now." The red haired woman vilely retorted, "You have everything to do with him. Now that you consort with the Cullens. After your Bella was the one who helped dismember _my _James."

I glared at her, not knowing what else to say.

"A mate for a mate, I figure."

"I'm no one's mate."

"Yes, you are." Victoria said, "Obviously, that wench with the brown hair has chosen you."

"Don't call her that." I growled so low I wasn't sure she heard me.

She did, apparently, so she just grinned at me, her teeth almost blindingly white in the light of the living room. "You know you are. You're blushing at my comments. And that defense there? Yeah. She's got you wrapped."

She had me there. I knew I would do anything for Bella if she asked. Go to the ends of the earth, walk through fire. Anything for her. I knew it was pathetic, and that I had only known her for a short amount of time, but already I felt bonded to her in a most inexplicable way. A most pathetic way that had me yearning for her presence even now, in the midst of danger.

"I'm not going to kill you now." She said, abruptly changing the subject. But the way she said it made chills go through my body.

"Lucky me." I said, full of bold sarcasm that surprised even myself.

"Yes, _lucky you_." Victoria replied, her voice as sharp as daggers. There was a pause, and then I heard my mother gasp from the kitchen, and then a mild curse came from her lips. She must have cut herself on the knife she was using for the vegetables.

Victoria sniffed the air delicately, a smile coming over her features, "Mm, your mother's blood certainly smells appetizing."

"_Don't._"

Victoria looked at me with what I imagined was disdain, "I have control. I'm no lowly newborn, child."

She rose from her place on the couch, and stood, glaring at me with those soulless, red eyes. "But I will savor her blood when I'm done with you."

My fists clenched tightly. So tight I felt my nails dig into the soft skin of my palm. I wanted so badly to punch her, but somehow I knew that wasn't going to get me anywhere. She looked smug. So smug that I wasn't sure that she even _used _to be human. All she was to me was a monster. Through and through.

"Oh. Well, look who's just pulled up." The red haired vampire looked out the window.

I felt a huge load lift from my shoulders when I saw Bella, Edward, and Alice emerge from the small, silver Volvo that Edward owned. I didn't even want to know how they knew Victoria was here, but I wasn't complaining. Not at all.

_Bella. _My thoughts caressed her name like it was the most sacred of mantra. And I didn't feel bad in doing so.

"I guess I'd better get going."

I felt the wind move around me, as if she had blown right past me. She was quicker than anything I had ever seen. Out the back door, cleverly avoiding the front door where Edward was just raising his hand to knock. I saw Alice turn to tell Bella something, and she grit her teeth in aggravation.

Seconds later, the knock sounded through the house.

"Jasper, sweetie, can you get that?"

"Y-Yeah, Mom." I croaked, hoarse from my encounter with Victoria. Her words and message had been jumbled, but I had guessed her meaning. Basically, the Cullens killed her mate and she wanted to kill me. For whatever reason. Probably because I was human. The easiest target to get to. The easiest one to take out.

I opened the door, and immediately Bella's arms were wrapped strongly around my shoulders, crushing me to her. I almost had the breath knocked out of me from the force of it all. She buried her face into my chest and I felt her strong shoulders shake, almost like she was crying, but I felt no wetness from tears.

"I can't believe this." Edward said, scanning the room, "Of all the rotten luck…"

"She went out the back, of course." Alice said. Her eyes had taken on a kind of glazed, dreamy look as she talked. Then, as soon as I had noticed it, it was gone. "To keep out of reach of us."

"We should have chased her." Bella had gathered herself, and turned to her "siblings". Her face was wild and determined.

Alice shook her head, and the glazed look returned, "She would have outran us. Came back and circled around to get Jasper again."

I felt my heart stop at her words.

How was she so certain?

The chills I thought had left with Victoria crept up and down my spine yet again. There was an air to the room that I couldn't shake. A sinister, creeping air that almost strangled me then and there. Similar to how it felt in the meadow. I kept my arms wrapped around Bella's waist, pressing her tightly to my chest. I guess I should have been in awe that she had just hugged me like that, with so much abandon, but the only thing I could think about was Victoria, and her threats. The threats that I knew she would be all too happy to carry out.

The Cullens definitely had some explaining to do.

"Jazz, who was that?" My mother called from the kitchen.

"Some friends…" I called back weakly, "I wasn't expecting them, but you think they could eat supper with us?"

My mom peaked her head around the corner, her blonde hair matted with a slight spray of water. A towel rested on the finger she had cut. Bella tensed slightly in my arms at the sight - and most likely, the _scent_ - of the blood. But she controlled herself quite well, and she then relaxed, pulling away. "Hello, Mrs. Whitlock."

"Bella." Mom said, her eyes lighting up, "Nice to see you again, honey."

"Same to you." She smiled, and the very action was breathtaking.

"And it's no problem…" Mom said, giving each of the guests a grin. "But I do believe you'll have to introduce me to these two."

"Uh, right…" I felt my face become flushed, "This is Edward Cullen and Alice Masen."

"Nice to meet y'all." My mother replied, the deep tone in her accent apparent. It was strange how everything could change from a death stare-off to a pleasant introduction in a mere matter of seconds. "I'm Joy Whitlock, and my son here, Jazzy."

"They already know me, Ma." I sighed in fake exasperation. My mother could be air-headed sometimes, but most of the time, she was as sharp as a tack. She gave me a light grin and smiled toward Edward, who returned it with a crooked grin of his own.

"Well, then," Mom said, her grin not subsiding, "Would you three like to stay for supper?"

Bella looked to Edward, who shrugged and then looked at Alice, as if it all rested on her and her uncanny ability to predict things.

"That would be wonderful, Mrs. Whitlock." Bella said as soon as they had basically finished a conversation with no words at all. It was a strange sight.

"Alright, y'all just make yourselves at home." She said, and I couldn't help but feel the dread that she had said that same thing to Victoria just before she sat her sinister form down on my couch.

I didn't think I'd be able to look at that couch the same way again.

My mother turned back to the kitchen to leave us to our "teen antics" as she put it. I smiled at her kind demeanor as I led the other…_vampires_ to the couch. I was still kind of putting it all together, but it was almost plainly obvious that all the new students to Forks High were, in fact, unnatural.

They gracefully sat down. Edward and Alice close like only lovers could be, and Bella with her eyes trained on me. I sat in the recliner that my mother usually sat in and looked at them with wondering, searching eyes, wary of my mom in the kitchen, cooking up a storm for people who didn't eat…_normally_.

That was something else I'd have to ask them about later.

But now? Now there were more pressing matters at hand other than worrying about what my supposed "mate" actually consumed.

I looked them each in the eyes, my stare was hopefully as intimidating as there's, because I _needed _to know answers.

"Tell me. Everything."

Those two clipped words were enough to bring a grimace to Bella's face, a look of sadness to Alice's, and nothing to Edward's. Almost as if he heard the statement before I completed it.

They looked at one another, eyes somber and sad, and I knew that this wouldn't be just an easy yes or no answer game.

Those three words were going to make their whole world tumble down around them. Expose them for what they were. I almost felt bad, but I needed these answers. I needed them to protect my mother. I needed them to protect myself.

I needed them to protect _Bella_.

I didn't know how, but I figured I was a bit irrational and stupid after seeing the bane of my existence in my living room, chatting idly with my mother of all people. Victoria could have easily…

I let a shudder roll down my spine as I watched the three contemplate, again, in that strange mental way they did.

"I guess there's no harm in it now." Edward said, his fierce topaz eyes locked on mine.

"Never was." I retorted.

And so they began.

* * *

_**End Chapter Eighteen.**_

_And there's chapter eighteen! I hope everyone enjoyed it! For a while, I had no idea where it was going, but here it is! I am so grateful for all the reviews I have received for this fic, and I love hearing all of your opinions, so keep em coming! Lol. When I look to when I last updated, I know it seems like a long time, but it was still in this month, so hopefully y'all haven't had to wait that long! It seems like forever ago!_

_Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed this new chapter of mine! Please review with your thoughts! I'd love it! _


	20. The Pixie's Past

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Twilight!_

_Thanks so much for all of your kind reviews! I appreciate them very much and it makes me glad to know that I have to many people who like my fic! Thanks so much for reading and I hope everyone likes this chapter like they did the others!_

* * *

**Long Road to Ruin  
****Chapter Nineteen: The Pixie's Past**

* * *

**Jasper.**

Or not.

"Jazzy, sweetie, supper's ready! Tell your friends!"

_Shit. _I thought, looking over to the doorway that led into the kitchen, my eyes scanning to where my mother stood, wringing her hands on a dishcloth and looking me and my friends over. I quirked a brow and said, "I think they heard you, Ma."

"Oh, right." Mom said, her face coloring with blush, "Silly me."

I couldn't help but laugh at that, and I sighed, "Right."

I rose from my seated position and stretched slightly, looking at the three vampires seated so casually in my living room. It seemed that my house was now the one way stop for all things supernatural. I wouldn't be surprised if a werewolf or a ghost came wheeling by just about now.

I saw Edward smirk at me, as if he had heard what I had been thinking.

_You're just paranoid. _I told myself, closing my eyes and reveling in the momentary darkness it granted me. After a few simple seconds, I looked to my mom and grinned, "Let's get this show on the road then!"

Mom grinned at me and motioned for us to make our way to the kitchen. We did, and sat all around. Bella was beside me, and on my other side was Edward, while Alice sat just beside him. My mom moved all the food onto the table, arranging it around us. The smell wafted from what she had cooked and I felt my mouth water.

She grinned as she looked at me, obviously loving the fact that she could cook for a numerous amount of people at once. I smiled back, not being able to resist my mother's infectious grin. I guess that's where I inherited it from.

"Will you say grace, Jazzy?" Mom asked with a grin, as she linked hands with me and Edward, who was on my other side. I felt my hand slide into Bella's cool, hard palm and felt the resulting chills erupt on my skin.

"Sure, Ma." I told her, closing my eyes and bowing my head. I wondered if Bella and her family believed in a higher power. My family, growing up in the South, was very religious, even though it was only me and my mother for most of my life. I grew up raised like this, so it was natural for me. I said a few choice words and then closed the prayer.

We all dropped hands and I sighed, picking up my fork. I felt eyes on me and looked over at Bella, who was giving me a small smile. I felt another pair of eyes on me and looked at Edward, who was giving me a look that was quite strange. It was both envious and loathing at the same time. I fought back a confused expression and dug into the food that surrounded us.

The whole supper itself was quiet and nice. Mom made chatter and I saw her eyes drift to Bella and back to me again and again, as if her instincts were kicking in. It felt awkward, like she could see through me. But her smile was ever-present and gentle when directed to the brunette.

The conversation was light and friendly. Strange, considering everything that had been happening to me lately, but it was a welcome reprieve from the weight that had been settled on my shoulders. It was almost alien, foreign, talking about things that were so mundane, such as school and football.

I helped Mom put up the dishes afterward, while Bella, Edward, and Alice made their way to the living room. I told them they could go up to my room if they wanted, and they obliged.

Mom turned to me and smiled softly, "My little Jazzy's finally found a girlfriend."

Oh God. I knew it would turn to this sooner or later.

"She's not technically my girlfriend, Ma." I told her in a lazy drawl.

"Well, have you kissed her?"

I felt my face color, and then I heard Mom's scoff in approval, "I thought so."

"Yeah, well, that doesn't mean anything…I…"

"It means that she likes you like you like her." Mom said, a note of wisdom in her words, "Obviously if she didn't want you to kiss her, then she would've struggled and it wouldn't have happened. And you wouldn't kiss anyone against their will. I know that much." She laughed after that and I sighed. She was right. About everything.

"Do I have to give you the birds and the bees speech, too?"

"_No_!" I shouted, my face now flaming to the color of a ripe tomato.

She dried the last plate with a dishtowel and laid it to dry on top of another towel. Looking at me, she just smiled like a mother would and said, "I hope it works out, hon."

I was taken aback by her sudden change of topic. I smiled back at her. "I hope so too."

* * *

Later, my mom sat on the couch, and I tried not to think about how I would never find that room safe again as I made my way up the stairs to meet with the three vampires that currently occupied my room.

_At least they're the good kind. _I thought to myself as I walked up the stairs. The old, wooden planks creaked under my feet before I walked to my room. Opening the door, I expected to find them irate, not wanting to reveal their secrets to a human. But when I appeared, Bella looked at me with relief and Edward and Alice turned to me, smiles on both their faces, their white hands twined together.

No one said anything for a long time.

I guess there wasn't much _to _say.

Then, Edward spoke, rising from his position on the windowsill next to Alice, and said, "I guess we'd better get started."

I quirked a brow, "What?"

"There's a bunch to tell you, Jasper." Bella's soft voice called to me from my bed, where she was seated. I tried to push inappropriate thoughts from my mind and only focused on her eyes. The topaz color of them penetrated the fog of my brain and made me listen.

"I suggest you sit down." Alice spoke, her light and tinkling voice sounding quite different, as if she knew how all of this was going to go.

I pulled up my beanbag chair and flopped in it like only a guy could. "Then let's get started."

Edward gave me a crooked smile and Bella rose from the bed, making her way over to me.

"There's so much…" Bella said, her eyes sad and compassionate.

"You're vampires. I know that much. Now fill in the blanks."

Edward looked shocked at how casually I said the word, and Bella only smiled at me, reassuring and kind.

"You wouldn't be so casual about this if you knew we could kill you in less than a second." Edward said, his voice cold.

"I saw what Bella did to those thugs in the alley." I said, looking over at Bella, who no longer was looking at me, but at Alice, who had risen from the windowsill and was walking to Edward.

Her small hand clamped on Edward's forearm and she sighed with a light smile. "Edward, don't you use those same scare tactics on him that you used on me. It's obviously not going to work."

That caused me to quirk a brow, but I didn't say anything.

"You're going to ask how our eyes are different than Victoria's." Alice said, as confident as I'd ever seen her. Which was saying something, because she was pretty confident most of the time.

I stopped as soon as I processed her words.

She was _right_.

That was the first question I had thought of, and she had nailed it on the head. How can she know that?

"And you're thinking, _how can she know that_?" Edward said, wrapping his pale arm around her tiny shoulders.

My eyes widened, and I looked to each of them, wondering how in the world this was happening. I guess I should've known that weird things were in abundance with the Cullens ever since I learned what they truly were, but this was ridiculous.

"To answer your first question," Bella started, kneeling beside me in the beanbag chair. It looked to be uncomfortable, but she didn't even look bothered by the strange position. "we don't drink the blood of humans, so our eyes aren't red."

"Then…what do you drink?"

"Animal blood." Bella gave me a small smile, her topaz eyes twinkling as if to prove her point even further.

Something lifted from my chest. I had thought all this time that Bella and her family were killing and drinking from humans, but now that she had cleared it up - the fact that she drank from animals helped me more than I ever imagined. I didn't even realize that the fact bothered me, but once I had the thing disproved, I felt better than ever about how I was feeling about Bella.

"Oh," Bella said, as if she just remembered, "Edward can read minds and Alice can see the future."

My jaw dropped open. I didn't even care who saw. This was the thing that happened in movies and science fiction novels. Vampires that could read minds and _see into the future_. This was beyond insane.

"Some vampires have special gifts, I suppose you could say." Bella said, smiling, "Something that could be enhanced when they were human. Alice had visions when she was human, and…well, Edward must have been a fluke."

Edward rolled his golden eyes at her.

"Me?" Bella said, pointing at herself, "Edward couldn't read my mind when I was human. Other vampires couldn't use their powers on me - the ones that focused on the mind. And when I was turned, I got the ability to extend the shield I had kept over my mind onto other people."

I gaped at her.

"A lot to take in, right?"

"Hell yeah."

I was still kind of confused, frankly, but I figured I would understand with the more time I spent with the Cullens.

"Anything else?" Bella asked, smiling at me.

"I can't find anything…" Edward said. Somehow, I felt a little too exposed now that I knew he could read my mind. Awkward…

"How do you…" I spoke, the words sounded hesitant and uncertain. I heard Edward intake a sharp breath, as if he didn't like where this was going. "become one of you?"

Bella looked like I had physically assaulted her. My heart lurched at the sight. I hated to know that this question was probably the one I shouldn't have asked. But I couldn't help it. Curiosity killed the human, I supposed.

"Bella, you shouldn't have to tell him." Edward said, looking at her sharply.

"No." The brunette said firmly, fixating her gaze on Alice, "I'm not going to keep it from him like you kept it from Alice for so long. Because you know that caused nothing but more problems."

Edward looked bitterly at his feet and Bella sent her gaze toward me. It took a while before she spoke, "Venom. We have venom inside our bodies…keeps everything lubricated and working, as well as helps turn others…"

"Venom?"

Bella nodded in a hurt manner, "One bite is all it takes to turn a human. The venom works its way through the body and makes you like us." She took her fist and rapped on her skull. It sounded like boulders clinking together, "Hard, invincible, like a stone. Never aging. With a bloodlust that would rival every carnivore on this planet."

She paused, then continued, "It takes three days. The pain is excruciating. Almost like you're being burned alive."

I stared at her and took a breath. It filled my lungs gratefully, and only then did I realize that I had stopped breathing during her monologue.

I had no more comments on that. So, I started on the more pressing matters, "And what about Victoria? Why is she so intent on giving me hell?"

Alice softened her gaze and walked to kneel beside Bella, while Edward kept his position standing up, almost at a constant vigil over all of us, as if something was going to go wrong. As if he expected the aforementioned vampire to come in the room after I spoke her name.

It looked like this was Alice's story to tell now. So Bella stood, stretching her joints, though I knew this was unnecessary, if what she told me about vampires was true. And I knew it was. Every single bit.

Her tinkling voice met my ears at once, "I was born in Mississippi about forty years ago. I don't remember much about it, but that is what I am aware of. My birth parents are a mystery…they abandoned my once I told them about my visions. Left me at a mental institution to rot, I suppose. Thought I was genuinely crazy."

I saw Edward wince at her choice of words. Almost like her pain was his own, bundled together and twined together. He hated hearing her talk about this, I already knew before she was halfway through her story.

"I stayed there, went through the insulin shock treatments. I might not remember much, but I do remember that. Never felt a worse pain until I was turned." Her eyes were drilling into mine, and I found it difficult to look away. "I also remember the first time I saw Edward."

Alice's voice turned loving at that, and I smiled at her gingerly.

"It was a cloudy day. Actually, most days around the sanitarium were cloudy, considering all of the trees that surrounded the place. Edward just walked onto the grounds - it was a time when they let all the patients out. He connected eyes with mine and there was just…this spark. I don't know how to describe it, but it was like everything I had been working towards had built toward meeting him. Ridiculous and stupid, I know, but that's how it was. Surely, it was the same when you met Bella."

I felt my face blush, remembering the first time that I saw Bella. Even through all my years in middle school through high school, I couldn't shake that first encounter. I felt like I wouldn't be complete until I saw her again. Alice's emotions toward Edward were completely understandable.

"But, yeah…" Alice sighed, clearing her mind of that memory and moving on to another part of her story, "Soon, Edward started visiting me. I wasn't sure why, but I didn't mind. No one really visited me, so I didn't complain. Not that the fact that I was head over heels for him without even knowing him had anything to do with it, but it did. We got to know each other more and more, and…_he saved me_."

The atmosphere in my room changed, the weight of the silence almost suffocating. No one said anything for a while.

"How?" I finally croaked after much deliberation.

Alice smiled, "Thought you'd never ask."

Edward had moved now to sit next to Alice, who was still staring into my eyes as she relayed her story about how her life as a Cullen began. Bella was just as enraptured as I was, though I was sure she'd heard this story plenty times before.

"There were other vampires, of course. I knew Edward was…_different _since the moment I laid eyes on him, but I just didn't know how different. He didn't tell me what he was until there was…how do I put it? Competition?"

Edward snorted in embarrassment.

"There was a vampire named James. Turns out, that was who Edward had been looking for all along. James had attacked the Cullens and Edward was hunting him down so they wouldn't rise up again. Noble, Eddie, really." She looked toward the bronze haired vampire and then turned back to me, "I guess James was looking how to get revenge on them. They had killed one of their clan members…Laurent, I think. That left him and Victoria."

Hearing the name caused me to hold my the shudder that rippled down my back.

"James was looking to kill me to get back at Edward." Alice said it so simply that it caused yet another series of chills to race down my spine. "He wanted to cause Edward the worst pain imaginable - killing the one he loved. He almost succeeded, too. While Edward was away for just a millisecond, tending to things with his family, James found me in my cell."

Her mate's hand found hers and squeezed tightly.

"He had killed so many people to infiltrate there…someone would just think that a psycho escaped. We had so many at the asylum that it wasn't rare to have someone murdered… I had been awoken by screams. I wasn't sure what was happening, but I figured someone had sharpened their toothbrush or something of the sort and used it as a shank. Wouldn't have been the first time. So I waited for the screaming to stop, but it went on for a while. Seemed odd for a patient to be giving so much trouble at such a late hour.

"After what seemed like hours, my cell door opened. I wasn't sure what was happening. They rarely visited during the day. But it wasn't anyone I knew. No, it was something far different."

I gulped deeply. The chills never seemed to leave my body.

"His eyes glowed red. Blood dripped from his lips and stained the entire front of his pristine white shirt. Hands, feet, hair…everything was covered in blood. He smiled at me, blood dripping from his lips and pattering against the floor in small droplets. I knew that there was something wrong, and a wicked image - one of my lying on the floor, screaming and writhing in agony, the bone sticking out of my leg - passed through my head."

I noticed Edward give Alice's hand a squeeze after she paused for a while, remembering quite well what happened. The two of them were bonded in a most inexplicable way, and I could almost feel it radiating off of them. Their adoration and caring for one another pierced my skin like razor wire.

"I knew that was a vision of what he'd do. He had decided upon it, and was sure he'd let it come to fruition. My visions are subjective, though. So I didn't put into account Edward, who was racing to me at that moment. He was almost too late, though. When he got to me, my leg - like I had seen in my vision - was broken. I was losing so much blood. He had gotten a piece of glass from the shattered windows and cut at my wrists…

"I was drifting in and out of consciousness, the pain was so severe. I hardly had time to register and be thankful that Edward had arrived and was fighting the man that had come to destroy me.

"I wasn't sure how everything went down. My vision was black. I couldn't see anything. I could only hear Edward's voice in my ear, _'Alice. I can save you…do you want to be saved?'_ His voice was desperate and very unlike him. It was strange. I didn't know what I was agreeing to, but I nodded my head. His teeth pierced my neck, and then I started to burn…"

Bella shook her head slightly, all the images playing in her head as they were in mine. It was a lot to take in.

"I woke up three days later. And started my life as a Cullen."

It was quiet for a while after that, in which we just stared. Alice looked very emotional, after just baring her soul to me for the first time. Bella looked somber, and Edward looked like he was in pain. Guilty.

"Edward thinks he stole my soul that day." Alice said after a while, and I saw her tiny hand squeeze his, "But he doesn't know that by doing what he did…he gave me everything I never had."

If Edward was capable, I was sure he'd be blushing at that.

"Then…why is Victoria here?"

"To avenge the death of her mate and Laurent." Edward said simply, "She knew she couldn't take us all on at once, so she decided to wait, I guess. For what, we don't know, but now she has an opportunity. By killing you, she'd avenge everything that we have done. That makes sense to her mind, I guess."

"What do we do, then?" My voice sounded shaky and I cleared my throat, as if that would help.

"We kill her." Bella spoke, her voice fierce, "Before she can get to you."

I looked around the room. The room that was victimized by this vampire bent on revenge. I let out a shaky sigh and then felt Bella's hand wrap around my digits. The coolness soothed me, but I still felt uneasy about this whole situation.

Something told me that killing Victoria would be easier said than done.

* * *

_**End Chapter Nineteen.**_

_And there ya go! There's chapter nineteen, but technically this fic has twenty including the prologue. It's hard to believe that I started this fic almost a year ago, and already I have so much written on it! _

_I am so glad to have so many loyal reviewers that enjoy what I write. It makes writing this fic that much more fun and I hope that everyone enjoyed this chapter! _

_Thanks for reading!_


	21. Sweet, Sweet

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Twilight._

_Thanks so much for everyone's reviews! I appreciate it more than y'all know! This fic is now the longest story I've ever written, counting all of the fanfics I've written for anime and everything. This is technically the 20__th__ chapter, but it will show as the 21__st__ on the whole chapter listing or whatever… I don't know where I'm going with this, but yeah. Anyway, I hope that everyone enjoys this chapter! I know I'll enjoy writing it!_

* * *

**Long Road to Ruin  
****Chapter Twenty: Sweet, Sweet**

* * *

**Bella.**

So there it was.

What we were, all laid out on the table in one twisted little package, for Jasper to hear and judge…

I felt sick.

He looked shocked at Alice's somewhat cheery rendition of her turning and how she came to be a Cullen. He winced at all the right parts - like when Alice mentioned how brutally beaten she had become by James. I remember that part clearly, because after Edward had bitten her, he brought her to us. The venom works fast, but it does take a while to heal even the most severe injuries - like what she had to go through.

Even thought Alice hadn't mentioned the most difficult part of her transition - the utterly consuming bloodlust - it seemed to have the intended effect on Jasper. He looked genuinely worried about these different vampires, the ones with the eyes of ruby red instead of our gentle topaz.

Now Jasper just sat there, after my declaration that we had to kill Victoria to stop her. Which will take patience and longer than I originally expected, as it would with any vampire, especially one hell bent on revenge.

I sighed as I watched him squirm slightly, his eyes darted to the window every now and then and I inhaled shakily.

"I think we should go."

I looked over to Edward with an incredulous expression and though he couldn't read my mind, he knew what I was thinking. It was written all over my face.

It screamed at me, almost rooted me to the ground beside him - _I didn't want to leave Jasper._

I wouldn't, simply put.

"We have an act to keep up." Edward tapped his head as if to remind me, "Remember. Think human."

I saw Jasper's lips curve up in a smile at that, and fought one myself. It was too easy to get lost in his good natured attitude about everything, despite the chaos that surrounded us.

"Right." I said, getting up gracefully. I felt Jasper's eyes on me, and I looked over at him. "Don't worry. You won't be alone."

He looked at me curiously, and I thought it would be a nice surprise to not clue him in more than that.

We made our way down the stairs, not making a sound, though Jasper's feet creaked on every other floorboard. I had to hide a smile at that. He was so…_human_. Well, of course he was, but it was strangely endearing. I could hear his heartbeat pumping in his chest, accelerating like hummingbird's wings.

I saw his mother, a kind woman who Jasper most definitely took after, standing beside the couch, staring in wonder at the television, her hands clasped around a dish rag. She seemed to have gotten distracted from whatever she was doing in the kitchen and wandered over to the TV.

I announced, "Mrs. Whitlock, we're about to head out."

She jumped, clearly having not heard our approach, or her son's clumsy human footsteps. "Oh, yes. Of course. It is a school night."

I looked at the clock. It was nine in the evening. I smiled at her, if only she knew that we didn't sleep at all.

We said our goodbyes, being as polite as we could, when in reality, we were eager to get back to our house and tell Carlisle and everyone else what was going on. What had happened here. I, on the other hand, had different plans.

I gave one last look at Jasper and then made my way out of the door.

I followed Edward and Alice out to the car, in case they were watching us leave. I actually climbed in the backseat, while Alice got in the front and Edward got in the driver's seat. Edward looked back at me with an understanding glance, "Go."

That was all it took.

I was out of the car in what was only a millisecond, shutting the door behind me. They drove off not soon after I sped around to the side of the house where Jasper's bedroom window was.

I stopped, right underneath his window, seeing that he left it open again. Sighing at that - when will he learn? - and then rocking back onto my heels, I launched myself up, landing gracefully on the windowsill, and climbed my way into his room, the crickets and moon the only witness to my skill.

I waited.

My sensitive ears heard him talking to his mother. Something about school and the football game this coming Friday. And the dance. She wanted to know if he asked me yet. I could almost hear him blushing, and could see it in my mind, a sweet interlude in the dark night. He eventually told her yes and she laughed like a school girl - like I should be doing right now.

Except for the fact that the object of my all-consuming affection was being stalked by a crazy vampire out for revenge.

I tensed as I heard his footsteps on the stairs. I heard him yawn right before his hand touched the doorknob, turning it and opening the door.

"Bella!" He exclaimed, clearly not expecting me.

"Shh," I put a long, pale finger to my lips, "Remember your mother."

A wry smile came over his lips, "Right."

I returned the smile with one of my own. It was easy to smile and be happy around this human teenager. Even though I'd known him only for a short while, I couldn't imagine my existence without him at this point. I was that far gone in my adoration of him, and I didn't know what that meant. It scared me, because I had never felt anything like that in all my years.

"What are you doing in here, anyway?" He asked, quirking a brow in wonderment at me.

I gave him a bitter smile, "I said I wouldn't leave you alone."

"So…what does that mean?"

I tried to think of an appropriate phrase, but nothing sounded right, so I settled for the most childish sounding, "Think of it as a sleepover."

His eyes widened, looking at me in shock, "Uh…okay."

"Except I won't be doing any sleep." I told him frankly.

"Hey! You need your sleep, right? I mean, don't get all exhausted because of me. It's not really - "

"Vampires don't sleep, Jasper."

He looked at me strangely then, his eyes almost shocked in their enormity. It was quiet for a bit before he said, "Well, nice to know that everything Bram Stoker said was a lie."

I laughed at that. I remembered thinking the same thing when I was first turned. If only he knew just how far away his _Dracula _was from the reality of things.

He looked at me with unfathomable eyes and I just had to grin at him. That caused his heartbeat to accelerate, something that I felt quite smug about. Just looking at him, I felt a sense of completeness that emanated throughout my being. It was something I had never experienced before, and somehow, it frightened me. It was like the very foundation of my existence was being uprooted and replanted somewhere else.

All because of him.

This little human boy with the Southern accent and the honey blonde hair and the childish grin.

"Do you…uh…" Jasper struggled for words, "Would you like to watch some TV?"

I laughed at that. It was such a mundane issue, and it seemed out of place in this world where the mundane was very scarce. "Sure. Why not."

We moved two of his beanbags over to the front of his television set and sat there. He picked up the remote and offered it to me, "And what would you like to watch?"

I shrugged, "Doesn't matter."

He looked kind of embarrassed when he turned to a program that I had watched before. _Top Chef_ or something or another. He looked at me sheepishly, "Is this alright?"

I nodded, smiling at him, "I actually like this show."

"Vampires watch _cooking shows_?" Jasper said incredulously.

"Well, we have to know how to cook blood pudding."

Jasper snickered at my awful joke, "Nice."

"I try."

Jasper smiled, leaning back into his beanbag while I just watched him. I watched how his blonde hair was in an almost careful disarray, and how his brown eyes would watch the entire program, enjoying all of it. His handsome face was constricted with interest and he watched as the several "cheftestants" rushed around the kitchen, desperately eager to make food for this attractive couple.

"You don't look like you would be interested in cooking." I noted, gazing at some of the posters that he had adorning the walls. Various football teams and basketball teams…as well as a poster for some zombie B-flick adorned his walls. Near the seat beside the windowsill, there were a football, basketball, and baseball glove messily placed.

He looked at me, that same sheepish trait to his features came out, "Uh…well…"

His cheeks turned red, and I remembered with slight envy at how mine used to do that at even the most non-embarrassing moments when I was human. "You can tell me, Jasper."

The blonde snorted at that, running a hand through his thick, unruly hair. If it weren't for the fact that he looked so innocent, I would have taken him for some kind of brooding movie star.

"I…" He let out a gust of breath, "I would like to be a chef when I grow up."

I tilted my head to the side infinitesimally. "And you're embarrassed?"

"Well…not - not really." He said, backtracking, "I just…well, I would like to get a scholarship for something sports related, but what I really want to do with my life is cook."

"_What I really want to do with my life…"_

He said that like he had no intention on becoming immortal. Like I was just a normal girl, a normal _human girl_ in his room, and we were just a normal couple, sharing our dreams and hopes.

Jasper looked like he was waiting for my reaction. I must have frozen at his simple words, the fact that he said them like he had no intent on becoming one of us. I didn't know why that stung me so, but it did. Instead, I felt a smile grace my features, despite the parade of questions marching through my enhanced brain, "I think that is a very nice goal, Jasper."

I meant every word of it.

He smiled softly at me, his eyes looking heart wrenching in that moment in time. "What…what did you want to be when you were human?"

I almost jolted to a start. Was he really asking this? No one had ever really asked me this question, and I had never wanted to tell anyone, because it was a silly thing to hope for. But I knew I could tell Jasper anything and he wouldn't laugh - unless what I said was intended for him to laugh at - and so I smiled gently at him, and said, "I wanted to be an author."

"Of books?"

It was my turn to snort, "No, of dirt."

"Right. Stupid question." Jasper laughed heartily, "I should've known."

"No, it's quite fine." I said, feeling a bit awkward at having bared a piece of my soul to him that hardly anyone else had cared about, "I…I wanted to be an author. I loved reading when I was human, and I always tried to create my own worlds in my head…I carried around this notebook and wrote my ideas in it." I laughed at my own childlike antics.

Jasper was leaning into me now, his face intent on what I was saying, "Sounds nice."

He was so close, it felt like I was suffocating. This feeling welled in my chest and overflowed, like a bucket filled to the brim with water.

Jasper snapped out of it - I knew that his proximity was due to my vampiric traits. The sweetness of my scent, my otherworldly beauty, my voice… It was all a natural mechanism to lure humans in, and he looked utterly taken by it. But there was something else in his expression. Like he was truly listening, wanting to know what I had to say.

But he moved before I could say anything more, like he was stopping himself from doing anything. He rose from his seated position and stretched, glancing at the clock. It was rather late, and he yawned, expressing his exhaustion.

"You're tired." I stated, giving him a sympathetic smile.

He nodded mid-yawn and winked at me. I felt my dead heart flutter. "Yeah, I think I'm gonna hit the sack. Since you don't sleep, I think…well, you can watch the TV. I usually leave it on at night anyway."

I smiled at him, not knowing what else to say.

He walked over to the light switch and flipped it, sending us into nothing but darkness except for the flashing lights of the television. Of course, despite the darkness, I could see clearly. He was moving to get his pajamas bottoms from their position slung over the bedpost. He had already removed his shirt, exposing that slender, muscled torso.

Once he was under the covers, settled in, I rose from the beanbag. He was turned away from the television, and I moved over to his bed like a silent ghost.

I sat down on the edge of the bed without jostling him whatsoever. I reached out and touched his bare shoulder from where it was exposed from the rest of the blanket. He started from my touch, jolting like he didn't expect this. He turned over and looked at me, his wide eyes were frightened, "Bella?"

He had thought I was Victoria. I felt bad that I had startled him like I had, "Yes."

"Oh…" He sounded uncertain about why I was sitting on his bed. His eyes adjusted and he could make my figure out by the light of the television.

I maneuvered myself onto his bed, lying on my side so that we were face to face, and I could hear his heart thud in his chest unevenly. I had to fight my smile - it was a good boost of confidence to know that I could cause this reaction in the guy that I was completely enamored by.

"Would you mind?" I asked him, "Mind if I stayed here?"

"Uh…" His voice was raspy, deep, and it caused shivers to go down my spine, "No. No problem at all."

I gave him a smile and nuzzled closer to him, closing my eyes and inhaling his scent - he smelled like the woods, rustic and wild, and something I couldn't put my finger on. Something strong and intoxicating. I exhaled against his chest and could feel his body shudder.

Instinctively, I put the blanket tighter around him, knowing how cold I must feel against his normal-temperature skin.

I felt him chuckle slightly and he extended his arms over the blanket, wrapping them around me and pulling me tighter, "I can put up with the cold." He murmured in my ear.

There was a warmth that pooled in my stomach and made its way downward, sending shocks of heat through my body. His arms were so _warm_ and it felt like I was burning in his embrace.

"One day…" He whispered, his breath light and airy against my cheek and ear, "I would like to hear your story."

I froze, unable to move, at his request. It was so earnest and kind that I didn't want to say no, but I wasn't sure if he could handle…

He felt the tension in my body and I could almost hear him smile, "I didn't say now. Not if you're not ready to tell me. But I just thought…I would like to know."

I almost sighed with relief, but then I thought that maybe he would be better off knowing the circumstances that happened around my change. They were unpredictable and dark, twisted around in my brain.

I reached up and ran a hand through his mussed hair. He leaned into my touch with a throaty chuckle.

"Are you sure you want to know?" I asked him, my mood darkening somewhat, "It is completely different than Alice's story, but…no less intense, I believe."

"Of course it would be intense to you." He said, looking at me with deep, chocolate brown eyes, "It's your story about how you…basically went through three days of hell to become…" He gestured to my immortal body with his head, "_this_."

I laughed under his scrutiny and looked up at him. Our noses brushed against one another at the close proximity and I felt a shudder ripple through his body at the contact. His eyes were staring into mine with a resolve that I recognized, but he was wondering whether to put it into action or not.

I felt my lips curve before I leaned forward and closed the remaining few centimeters between us.

His mouth was warm and lovely against mine and I pressed myself tightly to him, our bodies fitting together nicely, even though mine was rock hard and his was soft and inviting, like a favorite wool blanket.

One of his hands reached up and cupped the back of my head, bringing me closer still. Though his lips were soft and human, they were aggressive, despite the fact that they had to yield to mine by sheer force. He couldn't fight for dominance, but he sure as hell tried and that made my blood - or what should have been my blood - bubble pleasantly beneath my icy skin.

Hot fingertips moved from my hair to trace trails of fire down my cold cheek, where it stayed there, warming my entire face.

I knew I had to be careful. Cautious. One false move and I could kill him. One moment where I forgot about my inhuman strength could be his last, and that thought I couldn't take, so I had to be careful. Had to hold back. But this fact didn't decrease the amount of pleasure I got by doing this simple act.

So, before it could get too heated - I was about to lose control of myself and pin him to the bed beneath me - I pulled away, looking shyly up at him through my lashes and giving him a demure smile.

He gasped for air and I found myself grinning like a Cheshire cat as I gasped along with him. Not out of need, but out of pure shock at the intensity of the kiss.

I must have been feeling quite happy with myself, for the next words out of my mouth were ones that I had not planned to say.

"While you're recovering from that," I told him with a smile in my voice, "would you like to hear my story?"

He looked at me, his cheeks flushed, his pupils large, lips parted and air being drawn through them. A brilliant smile immediately lit up his features, "Wasn't expecting that so soon, but yeah. I would like that very much."

I pecked him on the lips once before I sat up, and he followed, looking interested already.

I then launched into the story about how I became rock hard, virtually indestructible, sleek, elegant, and forever young.

I told him the story about how I became a vampire.

* * *

_**End Chapter Twenty.**_

_There it is! Chapter twenty is up and here very early. I didn't think I'd get it done so quickly, but here it is nonetheless! I guess I really just want to finish this story, because I pretty much have it in my head how everything is going to go. Haha. I'm just not sure how many chapters it is going to take for it to get there. So…I guess all I can say is enjoy the ride! Because there is plenty to come!_

_I'm not sure how much I am actually going to use the Bella POV, because this is technically Jasper's story, but there will be some changes every now and then. So…yeah. _

_That's pretty much all I have to say about this! I hope that everyone liked this chapter because I enjoyed writing this little bit of Jasper and Bella fluff-ish stuff. Thanks for reading!_


	22. Burn, Burn, Burn

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Twilight._

_Thanks so much for your reviews! I appreciate them very much, and I hope that everyone is pleased with this latest chapter. This is Bella's story, so I hope that everyone enjoys learning about her past. Hope ya like this chapter!_

* * *

**Long Road to Ruin  
****Chapter Twenty One: Burn, Burn, Burn**

* * *

**Jasper.**

I stared at her, my eyes feeling like they should be taking up the expanse of my face if it were possible.

The kiss we had just shared was intense, all consuming. It reminded me of a wildfire, something so out of control that it could destroy us both if we didn't squander it while we could. Though, I don't think I would mind the fire. In all actuality, I welcomed it. Welcomed the closeness with her. Welcomed her icy touch.

I sighed and closed my eyes slightly, gathering my breath.

Bella looked at me with kind, topaz eyes, and I smiled at her, encouraging her to go forward with her story.

The story of how she was turned.

I waited on pins and needles for her to begin.

She opened her mouth, her eyes not moving from mine an instant, and she let out an exhalation of breath.

"I was born in 1950." She said, smiling at my shocked expression. I knew I shouldn't have been surprised, but I just couldn't help it. "I had just turned eighteen when the Cullens came to my town. That year I entered my senior year of high school.

"Carlisle established himself as a doctor early on. His wife, Esme, stayed at home with their three adopted children, because the story was that Esme couldn't have kids." A flicker of hurt flashed across her face, and she quickly masked it, "Their three kids also were going to attend the same high school I was going to."

I looked at her, wondering where this story was going. I had no clue, really, and I was slightly confused.

"I remember seeing the Cullens for the first time." She said, her voice nostalgic and kind, "They were absolutely beautiful. And I never really had a good self image of myself, so that made my own self consciousness grow and grow…"

This caused me to look at her skeptically. I was positive she was just as beautiful when she was a human, and to think that she used to believe she was anything less was completely flooring.

"But, that's not really part of the story, is it?" She laughed at herself for getting off topic, and returned to the root of things.

"One day after school, Edward met me at my truck." She continued, and I noticed her brows knit together in a line that met over her forehead, "I remember thinking that even in the dull light of the moon, he was absolutely stunning. I never had been good at talking to guys, and so I just stuttered and mumbled around my words."

I felt a pang of jealousy go through me, but ignored it. Nonetheless, I was shocked at its intensity.

"His eyes…that was what I remembered most about that night." She said, and her voice was hollow, haunted, "His eyes were black as pitch. There was a look about him that screamed _unhinged_. I didn't know why, but I felt like he wanted to hurt me."

Now this was something interesting. I had no clue, from the looks that she and Edward shared, that there was this kind of history between them.

"He was just leaning over to whisper something in my ear - his fists were trembling, bone white, and frightening, as if in anticipation. I could think of nothing else, because he smelled so _sweet_ and his voice was almost like a song in my ears. But Emmett called out to him before he could say whatever he was going to say, and grabbed his arm with his large hand before he pulled him away. He gave me a dimpled grin and they left. Edward looked…well, he looked _pissed_ for lack of better words."

I leaned forward, enraptured by the picture she was painting with her words. The light of the television flickered over her features, and even in the dim light, her ethereal beauty was apparent - painfully so.

"I drove home that night, my heart beating in my ears. My truck was never a model of stealth. It was an old thing, ancient even." Her full lips curved in a smile. Obviously the truck was a fond memory of hers. "I was thinking of nothing else except the fact that I had _thought _Edward had made a move on me."

The way she said thought, full of bitterness and disgust, made me think that I had nothing to be jealous of at all.

"It was a dark night, and the road I was on was unstable and curvy. Rain had started to pour from the sky, surprisingly hard. I had to concentrate my best to figure out how keep my truck on the road, and keep myself alive.

"The rain was coming down so hard that I couldn't see anything. But suddenly, there was a break in the downpour, and…well, I screamed when I saw that Edward was standing in the middle of the road. Just standing there, and looking straight through the windshield, as if he were staring straight at me."

I got chills down my spine at her words, not knowing why.

"He was too close, and I ended up hitting him." She shuddered visibly. "He was a foot in front of me, and I didn't even have time to turn the truck so I couldn't hit him. I crashed into him, and instead of seeing his body roll on the windshield, he just stood there. The sound of twisting metal and a screeching noise grated against my ears, along with my own frantic screams."

My eyes felt wide, too wide, as I realized what was going on.

"It was almost like I'd hit a truck head on. I couldn't believe it. I could see Edward's angry black eyes staring at me through the cracked windshield, and I felt blood trickle down my forehead from where I had hit my head on the steering wheel.

"His eyes seemed to follow that trickling of blood down my head. The look of hunger entered his eyes, and then he was gone. I hadn't even blinked at he wasn't there. I looked around, trying to find out where he had gone, until I heard a tapping on my window."

My muscles were tight, coiled like a snake ready to spring.

"Edward was there, looking at me. Again, in a split second, he ripped the door off of its _hinges _and tossed it into the forest. The road I was on was a particularly isolated one - no one really came down it unless they needed to. And here I was, thinking I was crazy because my classmate ripped the door off of my car after I hit him." A snicker erupted from her lips, "I don't know what I was thinking at the time, but I figured that if he could do that to the car, then what chance did I have at survival? He obviously wanted to kill me."

I took in a deep breath - I hadn't realized I had stopped breathing until then.

"'This won't hurt.' He told me before grabbing my arm," She said, and I almost smiled at her ability to imitate Edward's voice to a T. "I was trembling, shaking like a leaf. I remember I threw a punch at his impossibly perfect face, hoping that, if I was going to die, I could at least make his nose a little less perfect. The crunching sound was not of his nose, but was of my hand _breaking _from impact. He still looked as polished as ever, despite the fact that he was looking at me like I was some kind of drug, and he was the addict who desperately needed me."

She inhaled deeply, as if drawing the strength to continue with her story. I waited.

"I felt something sharp slice through the skin of my neck - his teeth." She shuddered again, "His arms wrapped around my body so tightly that I heard several _pops _and _cracks_, like some of my bones were being crushed."

She trailed off, and I looked down at her hand, which was wound tightly in my comforter, as if she was about to shred the thing to pieces. I reached out and placed my hand over hers in a comforting gesture.

Her lithe body relaxed and she sent a shaky smile in my direction. Obviously this memory was a very intense one for her, and it was difficult for her to recall it. Maybe I shouldn't have asked her about her history.

Bella exhaled and said, "I felt the strength leaving my body. It was like all of my blood was being drained… I truly didn't know what was going on. His embrace was crippling, and there was nothing I could do to escape it.

"Suddenly, though, someone threw him from me. I didn't know who it was, but from the booming voice, it sounded like Emmett. I collapsed to the ground, my blurry eyes not focusing on anything in particular except for the rain that pattered around me. I was cold, and despite the fact that I was cold, there was a slight burning going through me.

"Soft fingers moved my hair from my face and turned me over. I heard a soft voice - one that I didn't recognize, but it was masculine - talk to me. Saying my name. I felt so weak that I couldn't focus on anything other than the cold that was enveloping me, and the fire that tried to overcome it. I screamed out when he moved one of my crushed bones.

"'Edward…' He said in a sad way, 'Son. Control yourself.'

"_Son? _I remembered thinking. Then, despite my foggy mind, I put two and two together and discovered that it was Carlisle that was checking me. The only response to his words was a snarl and Emmett shouting something before the sound of boulders echoed in my hurting ears.

'I'm sorry.' Carlisle murmured in my ear, his nose skimmed the clean, undisturbed side of my neck. I thought he was apologizing for his son being the one who killed me, but then, I felt _Carlisle's _teeth sink into the side of my neck. His tongue lapped over the wound, sealing it up, before he moved to take my wrist in his hands and he bit the skin there too, repeating the process again and again. Both my wrists, the veins of both my ankles, and then back to Edward's original wound, where he clamped down over his son's own bite mark.

"I was surprised I remembered all of this, but I guess I was more lucid than I thought, despite the fact that I was slowly dying. I remembered wondering for a split second why he was biting me, and then…then that didn't matter anymore. Because that's when the burning started."

I felt a shiver of my own go down my spine at that.

The way that she said burning was enough to cause me to almost feel it myself.

"The burning…" She stated again, her eyes wandering from my gaze to the window, as if she wasn't sure where to cast her line of vision, "I don't want to scare you, but if I thought I was in pain before - for whatever reason - _nothing _compared to the fire that pulsed through my body, changing me.

"I remember crying out. For someone to kill me, for someone to hold me. They did the later. I remember a pair of gentle arms surrounding my torching body and whispering into my ear…kind, kind words. The bits and pieces of them that I remember touch my heart. But most I forgot during the transformation."

I looked at her, feeling something twist inside my chest. The pain was evident in her voice. Obviously this _transformation_ was nothing to be taken lightly. I couldn't even imagine how badly it hurt. The worst thing I'd ever been faced with was a broken leg. A compound fracture, with the bone sticking out of the side of my leg, and she was saying that the venom hurt more than _that_? I was somehow disbelieving, but by the way she talked about it, in reverence, I knew it was the real deal.

Shaking her head, she smiled gently at me, "Three days later…"

"Three days?"

Bella nodded, "The transformation takes three days."

"Ah."

After I acknowledged that, I felt the blood drain from my face. She had to burn for three days? Again, shudders wracked my body and her fingers wound through mine, a comforting kind of cold that soothed the demons that raged through my head.

"Three days later." She began again, her warm eyes staring kindly into mine, "I awoke. And…this is what I had become. The thirst was…incredible. Several humans…" She trailed off, looking away, "Some of them were victims because of it."

"I'm sorry." I told her, because I could clearly tell her that this bothered her extremely.

"It's not your fault." Bella said, giving my hand a squeeze, "It was a long time ago."

"That doesn't mean it doesn't still bother you." I told her bluntly, but then gasped lightly, shocked that I was this forward with her about this.

She cracked a light smile, "No, it does not."

I smiled back, not knowing what else to say, until her voice started in on her story once more. "They staged my death. I died, supposedly, in a car wreck. My truck was mangled enough to reinforce that point. They just moved it so it looked like I hit a tree and then set fire to it. My body was supposedly incinerated by the blaze."

My mouth gaped at that. She smiled at my shock despite herself.

"I was taught the ways of the Cullens. Figured out everyone's powers. Edward couldn't read my mind, but Alice could see my future, and all of the externally related powers worked on me. They figured I had a shield around my mind, which I could extend out to protect others from mental attacks. They were correct, and I was able to use that to my advantage against others with particular powers."

I looked at her, feeling a sense of awe that she was able to do something to protect others. Even though she mentioned it in passing before, I was now fully grasping the fact that she had these otherworldly powers that manifested once she had been turned. I wondered if that were to happen to me if I were to become one of them…

I almost slapped myself for thinking that. Who was I to think that the Cullens would even imagine turning me into one of them? I felt a slight pang in my chest. One that I hadn't even realized was there.

Did I want to become one of them?

I knew this wasn't the time to be deciding something like that, but the question started to plague my mind like a virus, nagging me in the silence left by Bella's last sentence.

"That's pretty much my story." Bella said, her eyes unfathomable in the darkness. Somehow, that sentence said more than she wanted. The tone of her voice was questionable, and I wondered what was going through her mind.

The silence around us was only marred by the slight murmurs coming from the television across the room. I couldn't find accurate words to say. I wasn't sure what else to say, but there was something I'd wondered about.

"If…" I started, my voice uneasy, "If Edward was supposed to be a vegetarian vampire, then why did he attack you that night?"

Realization hit her face, and she just smiled sheepishly, unbelieving that she had left that part of the story out, "My blood was particularly…_potent_ to him."

When I looked confused, she smiled and started to elaborate.

"Dealing with thirst is a daily part of our lives," Bella started, giving me a smile, "The pain of it never truly goes away. Nothing quenches it like human blood, but animal blood is enough, if you know how to control yourself."

Staring at her, I wondered where she was going with this.

"Edward, like us all, had breaks with control. He was practiced, being changed a good few decades before I was, but there was something about my blood in particular that called to him. If he had been more experienced, maybe he could have resisted, but…yeah. Now you know."

Quirking my head to the side, I found myself wondering just how hard it must be for her each day. Especially when she was friends with a human like this. I didn't dare think _boyfriend_. One, I didn't want to jinx myself. Two, I didn't want to seem arrogant at assuming. And three, the word just didn't seem to fit what I had with her. The word _boyfriend_ seemed so mundane, when my relationship with Bella was anything but.

"Ah."

The single syllable spilled from my mouth, understanding and yet understated.

What I wanted to say was something foolish. I wanted to ask her if I could somehow be turned one day. But then, I realized that I was selfish. From the two stories that I had heard, neither of them had a choice, when I so obviously _did_.

Right now, all the choices I wanted to make ended up with me beside Bella for all eternity.

She must have seen the stress on my face. I wasn't great at hiding my emotions from people, especially when they were as strong as this - practically smacking me in the face like an experienced boxer. Bella ran a cold hand through my hair and I closed my eyes, enjoying the way her strong fingers lightly yanked at the strands.

"You need to get some sleep." She told me, her voice barely a whisper.

I nodded, and her hand left my matted hair. "If I can after all this."

"Sorry."

"Not your fault." I gave her a toothy grin, hoping to reassure her with the patented Whitlock Charm. I almost chuckled to myself at that thought while thinking, _As if._

"I burdened you with my story."

"I was the one who asked for it." I told her, puzzled as to why she was blaming herself. It must be a vampire thing.

I flopped back onto the bed, while she just stayed upright, staring down at me with wondering eyes. She laid back down beside me, more graceful than I had been. The bed barely moved with her. I stared straight up at the ceiling, though I knew her eyes were on my profile.

"Have you forgiven him?" My question was something that surprised me, because it was the unfiltered question that had been poking my brain since the story was finished.

"Forgiven who?"

I rolled over onto my side, glancing at her. She was looking away now, staring up at the ceiling much like I had been. Her face turned towards mine, and her eyes showed that she knew who I was talking about. Looks like I wasn't the only one who couldn't hide their emotions well.

"Edward." I clarified, and her expression melted slightly, changed into something that was both pained and beautiful at the same time.

"Yes." She said, and I had no doubt that she meant it. "It took a few years, but I realized that it wasn't his fault that he did what he did. I'd experienced the hunger first hand. I'd…_killed_ without any control over my actions. And I knew where he was coming from. I knew that when he said he couldn't control himself, he meant it."

I smiled at her, admiring her even more for that.

"Anything else?" She asked, no doubt that she knew there was more things I wanted to ask her. One thing in particular.

_Would you change me?_

No.

I just…couldn't.

I don't know why, but I couldn't voice it. Couldn't even think of voicing it.

So I didn't. There was a time and place for everything, and somehow, this didn't feel like the right time to bring that sensitive topic up. Though I wanted to - I wanted to more than anything, I restrained myself. I was just glad that Edward wasn't here to read my thoughts. I'd have to try to be more careful around him now that I knew of his particular talent.

I just smiled at her, and said, "Not that I can think of."

She smiled lightly back, but I knew that she thought I was hiding something. I didn't even say anything else, only closed my eyes and whispered, "Goodnight."

I felt her cold lips, like marble, press against my forehead, and the gesture touched me. I felt warm despite the coldness. "Goodnight." I felt her lips move against my skin ever so lightly, almost as if they weren't there at all.

She moved closer and nuzzled her head into the crook of my neck. Chill bumps rose on my skin at the contact, but it wasn't unwelcome.

I exhaled, thinking of how much I loved having her close to me, before I surprisingly drifted easily off to unconsciousness.

Once in the recesses of sleep, I dreamed.

* * *

_**End Chapter Twenty One.**_

_There ya have it! The twenty first chapter of this fic. I can't believe it, really. I enjoyed writing this chapter and I hope that everyone enjoyed reading it. There really isn't much else to say except I would love it if y'all reviewed! I always love hearing your opinions on everything and would love to read what you think about this._

_Thanks for reading!_


	23. Fire It Up

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Twilight._

_And, here it is. I guess I really haven't been in the Twilight mood lately, so that's why I've been delaying this update for so long. I just haven't really been wanting to write anything for my chapter stories lately, but yeah. I realize I need to get moving, so here's the update. Enjoy!_

* * *

**Long Road to Ruin  
****Chapter Twenty Two: Fire It Up**

* * *

**Jasper.**

Every night after that pivotal first evening, Bella slept with me in my room.

We were always cuddled up together, tightly bound as if we were the same being. It was strangely intimate, but something I enjoyed very much - what man wouldn't? And the fact that it was _Bella_ with me, and not just some random girl from school, made it all the more wonderful.

Because, I knew that I felt more for Bella than I could ever feel for anyone. Being around her was like being wrapped in a dream, as odd as that sounded. I was never one for shining endearments, but this girl…this woman was more than I could have ever asked for. She was like no other person I had ever met before.

All the shallow, meaningless conversations that Jessica and Lauren had subjected me to on a regular basis seemed just that when compared to the conversations between Bella and me. I know that sounded bad, but I had never really been romantically interested in anyone else in this rinky dink town until Bella…

I know that sounds a little off, but it was true. I wasn't short of people who wanted to date me, but I had never wanted to date them. I couldn't get the sparkling beauty out of my mind ever since I had seen her when I was young. When she saved me.

She was so much more than all the beauty, though. She was kind, considerate, had a sense of humor, and was fearless when it came to her feelings. She was also kind of shy when we talked about certain things, which I found endearing.

The week following that night went by in a blur, and soon it was the Friday of our first football game.

I was excited, as was everyone else at the school. I could practically feel the anticipation in the air. Fliers and whatnot were spread around the school, advertising the pep rally that would be held in the gym at break today. Everyone was wearing the colors of Forks High School. Some girls had t-shirts with the number that their boyfriend wore painted on the back, others just carried around pom poms and had their faces painted.

For such a small school, Forks High really got into the spirit of the sports. Especially since we usually had such a bad record. It was slightly surprising, but not really, since there wasn't anything else to do in Forks. Football and basketball and baseball were all a welcome distraction from the dullness of the town, despite our horrid record.

All the football players wore their jerseys to school, as usual. I looked at myself in the bathroom mirror and smiled. The familiar fabric of the jersey was comforting against my skin, the number 11 prominently displayed. The day had gone by pretty fast, the first two classes before break flying by, and here I was in the bathroom in the gym, waiting for the pep rally to start.

Usually, the weather was drizzly and not very nice, so we had our pep rallies in the gym. When it was sunny - which was, hardly ever - we had them out on the football field. But usually they were in here, because our school was so small that we could fit everyone easily into the bleachers in the gym.

I sighed, looking myself in the mirror, glaring at the dark circles underneath my eyes. I had hardly slept last night, waking up and then going back to sleep, tossing and turning. I was glad that Bella _couldn't _sleep or I'd have kept her up all night by my unfortunate habit of not being able to sleep in one position for long.

"Jazzy Pha!" Tyler called out to me just after emerging from a bathroom stall. "Can you hear 'em?"

I laughed at that, hearing the voices of the people in the gym from inside the bathroom. It was a light murmuring, muted by the wall, but I knew how loud our little school could get. "Of course. I just know how bad it's gonna be when it actually gets started."

Tyler laughed at that, moving to look at himself in the mirror as well, scratching the back of his head as he did so.

"Geez, we're such girls." I laughed as Tyler sent me a playful glare.

After that, we walked out of the bathroom, and to our position on the sidelines of the gym, sitting on the corner, just out of sight of everyone, grouped together in a mismatched huddle. We were a regular rag-tag bunch of players, which was enough to get all the other teams to laugh at us. Sometimes we surprised them, other times we were just what they had expected out of us.

I looked over at Mike, who was nervously looking into the crowd. For all his confidence, he hated being in front of crowds. I smiled over at him, "Well, don't you look excited?"

Mike looked at me, his wide blue eyes looking like something out of the National Geographic channel, "S-Sure."

"Dude, we do this before every game." Tyler chided.

Mike rolled his eyes, "Your point?"

"You shouldn't be looking like Bambi in the headlights." Tyler replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Just look at your woman. That's what I do."

Blinking, Mike looked for Jessica, who was with the huddle of cheerleaders, getting ready to do one of their routines. Her frizzy, curly, brown hair was left free around her shoulders, and it was slightly obvious that her skirt had been taken up just slightly. A look of unmistakable lust crossed his face and he smiled dopily as she jumped around with the other cheerleaders.

"Don't tell him to ogle Jessica _before _the game. He'd get clobbered more than usual." I told Tyler slyly, whispering loud enough for Mike to hear my jab. He looked over at me and glowered. I sent him a cheerful smile.

Jessica stared at me for a moment before she whispered something to Lauren, the head cheerleader. It made sense for her to be dating Tyler. Lauren was everything cliché about high school. No offense to her, I don't suppose. She was blonde, a cheerleader, and dating the quarterback. It almost wrote itself.

I looked over to see Angela at the other side of the gym. She was in the band; the trumpet player. Ben Cheney was staring at her slightly, a goofy grin on his face. Really? Was this the team of lovesick morons?

I thought of Bella, and decided that it was true.

As soon as her name entered my mind, I looked into the bleachers, hoping to see the faintest trace of her. My eyes scanned all of the teens in the bleachers. The ones that could care less, the ones that cared too much, and the ones that were in the happy medium, calm but interested.

My eyes landed on Bella, sitting contentedly by her family. Alice sat next to her, and Edward was beside Alice, their hands twined together. Rosalie and Emmett sat a row above them, creating a rather lopsided pyramid.

Bella saw my gaze and raised a hand, waving at me.

I grinned at her, knowing she could see it with her perfect vampire vision, and raised a hand in greeting.

"Heh, I think all we need to do to get a touchdown is get the ball in Jasper's hands and put Bella at the end of the field." Tyler snickered at me.

Snapped out of my reverie, I glared at Tyler and elbowed him playfully with my elbow. "Really, _Mr. Mallory_?" I joked, using the fact that Lauren practically had him whipped to my advantage.

"Yeah, _Mr. Cullen._" Tyler shot back, and I shoved him again while laughing.

The cheerleaders had converged in the center of the gym, doing some routine to some awful pop song. The nasally tone of whatever song they were dancing to hurt my ears. It was a far cry from the stuff I listened to - mostly indie and alternative stuff, with the occasional rap song - and I was really glad I had never heard this before, because I think if I had to listen to this on a daily basis, my ears would bleed.

Nonetheless, the cheerleaders gyrated and moved to the song, and most of the guys were ogling at the sight like dogs who hadn't been fed in a month. I rolled my eyes as Jessica locked gazes with me as she did a turn, her skirt hiking all the way up so I saw her bloomers.

_Note to self: buy Jess some pants. _I thought crassly. Not that I thought Jessica looked bad, I just hated that she was trying to get my attention so badly when she was with Mike. It rubbed me the wrong way. And, even though the cheerleaders wore short skirts and everything, it didn't make me want any of them. It was like I was watching, but not really seeing. Like everything was covered with a hazy film.

I had the errant thought that if Bella was out there, it would be a different story.

Then, that thought led me to imagine Bella in a cheerleader outfit, and that caused me to get even more zoned out.

Tyler was right. I was just as whipped as he was.

Surprisingly, I didn't mind.

The cheerleaders stopped their routine, and then moved to crowd around us, making a tunnel by raising their arms and waving their pom poms, saying encouraging things and cheering like good cheerleaders do. Tyler was at the front of the line, and I was just behind him, being the good co-captain I was.

The voice came from the loudspeaker, deafening, _"Now, let's here it for your Forks High Spartans!"_

We ran through the makeshift tunnel, and stopped when we got to the middle of the gym. The cheers were louder than anything I'd heard in a long time. It filled me with adrenaline, pumping fast through my veins. I could only imagine what it would be like tonight at the game, and then later at the dance…

Our coach came forward and said some things about winning on the microphone, and then announced each of us, going from the youngest to the oldest. Since there were no seniors on the team, Tyler and I were announced last, being the captain and the co-captain.

"Number eleven, running back, and the co-captain, Jasper Whitlock!" He bellowed with affection. The gym erupted into cheers that rivaled everyone else's. I saw Bella and Alice on their feet, clapping away. Bella looked slightly embarrassed, and Alice let out a few hollers. I smiled and waved up at everyone.

"And number five, your quarterback and captain, Tyler Crowley!"

The shouts and yells got louder, deafening the small gym. I swear I felt the floor vibrating with the intensity of it all.

He gave the microphone to Tyler, who said a few words about winning, causing several girls to squeal, and the cheerleaders to look like they were having conniption fits. Then he handed it back to Coach and waved largely, sweepingly.

Then we all went and sat down on the basketball benches, and watched the dance team come out. I idly wondered why the Cullens didn't join - the girls at least. They were ten times more graceful than the dancers we had, but I guessed they didn't want to stand out. Kind of the reason why Emmett didn't play football.

After a while, well into what should have been third period, the pep rally came to a close and everyone filed out of the building. I smiled, feeling my heart swell at all the people who genuinely enjoyed watching us and the team, win or lose. It was always nice to have those kind of people to support you.

I watched as the people filed out of the bleachers, watched as Bella and her family made their way down the side and out of the place. But before she left from my sight, she turned her head and winked at me. The movement was so quick and precise that I was doubtful that it had actually happened.

The adrenaline within me was now because of her.

* * *

"Mom, I'm home!" I called out, slinging my book bag on the floor as I looked around the house. She was nowhere to be found. I told myself she was still at work, but I couldn't help the trickle of paranoia I felt ever since I saw Victoria in my home.

"Hey, Jazz!" I heard my mother's familiar Southern twang from up the stairs, and I made my way up to meet her.

She was in my room, fiddling around with my things. Everything looked cleaner, more organized, and I realized that she had been here all day cleaning. Her hands were working furiously on my sheets, straightening them out from the pile at her feet.

"Uh…okay?" I said, looking at her questioningly.

"Well, I was off today, and your room has been particularly messy lately." She started, tucking in the sheet around my mattress, "I'm surprised it doesn't smell worse. I know you, leaving your sweaty socks around. But it smells sweet, somehow." She chuckled to herself, and I felt myself freeze, "But I guess I'm going senile a little early in life."

I sniffed subconsciously, inhaling the residual sweetness that Bella just naturally had about her. She'd been in my room so much, that I guess the scent stuck. Not that I minded, but I was glad that Mom didn't question it further.

"Are…are you coming to the game tonight?" I asked, knowing the answer.

"Of course! I never miss any games." Mom looked at me incredulously, as if she couldn't believe I'd ask that question.

"Okay, just making sure." I smiled at her.

"Are you going to the dance afterward?" She asked, waggling her eyebrows, "With Bella, I presume."

I laughed, on the brink of hysteria, "Uh, yeah…I am."

"Well, dress nice, then." Mom said, smiling gently at me, "I've ironed all your button-up shirts and nice pants. They're in the closet."

"Uh. Yeah. Thanks." I said, feeling like I was on autopilot.

I guess the old saying was true: "A mother always knows."

* * *

The remaining ours before the ballgame passed by as sluggishly as I'd remembered.

It seemed that every time there was something that I was looking forward too, the time always passed by so slowly. I paced around in my room, wanting the clock to hurry up and get to six o'clock. The game started at seven, but Coach wanted us at the field early. It was only four thirty.

I had cooked a little something for my mother and me, since she had worked on the catastrophe that was my room all day. It was grilled cheese, but at least it was something, even if it was nothing special.

So, now I was pacing in my room, trying to think of something I could do besides wear a hole in the floor.

I looked over at my television, which was on, blaring some kind of cooking program that I particularly enjoyed. I thought about playing my Playstation, but decided against it. I moved over to retrieve the remote from the beanbag I had thrown in on and flipped through the channels listlessly. Over and over.

I really needed a life.

I had just settled on SportsCenter when I heard a tapping sound on my window.

Starting from my position, I half-expected to see Bella, and half-expected to see nothing - which would mean Victoria was back. I shuddered.

But I looked and felt a huge weight lift off my shoulders when I saw Bella crouched on the windowsill, looking at me with large, topaz eyes.

An immediate smile crossed my features as I walked over and let the window up. She gracefully climbed through the window and landed on the floor without a sound. She wore what she wore to school - a simple brown sweater, a crisp white collar showing underneath, and a pair of blue jeans. I felt my smile widen as she glanced around the room.

"Did you do some cleaning?" The tone of her voice was teasing and light. Something I enjoyed the most. I loved it when she was carefree and joking, it was enough to make my heart ache in my chest without reason, to see her so happy.

"Oh, yeah," I said sarcastically, "I did it all."

"_Liar._" She grinned impishly, "You wouldn't clean it if your life depended on it. Must've been the mom, because it smells like Pine-sol."

I took a whiff again, wondering why all these people were smelling things in my room that I hadn't noticed. Yep, definitely the signature scent of Pine-sol, but it wasn't even that apparent next to the incomparable sweetness she had embedded into my room.

"Really?" I said as she sat down easily on the bed, which was made for once, "Mom says it smelled really sweet…I wonder where she got that from?"

"Hm, that is curious." Bella said, swinging her feet back and forth, and she had that peculiar look about her - where I knew she should be blushing, but she wasn't.

She turned her gaze on the clothes I had laid out to put on for the dance. The actual dance started about thirty minutes after the game was over, so it gave the guys time to shower and change clothes. I had picked out a simple white button-up shirt and a pair of my nicer jeans - you know, the one pair I owned without holes in them.

"So this dance isn't like Prom, I assume?" Bella asked, looking at me with kind eyes.

"Nah." I told her, waving that off, "It's casual. Most girls wear dresses and the guys dress kinda like that." I motioned over to the clothes on my bed.

Her eyes studied me, and I recognized the eagerness in them. She was just as excited and nervous as I was to be going to the dance with one another. "So…"

"So." I repeated feebly, wondering what she was getting at. I wanted to ask why she was here, but I didn't really care. Anytime I could see her was welcomed, no matter what the reason.

She stood up, smiling coquettishly at me, and I felt my heart skip several beats. Bella heard that too, and she smirked slightly, and I waited for the blush that never came. It couldn't, of course, but I imagined it, and I thought it would look lovely on her features. "I just wanted to see how you were doing."

"I'm fine." I said incredulously. It was as if she was meaning something entirely different than what she was telling me.

"And, I wanted to wish you good luck." She came closer to me, and wrapped her icy arms around my neck. She looked up at me through her thick lashes and I felt my breath catch. "So, good luck, Jasper."

She whispered my name huskily, and a pleasant shiver danced down my spine before she pressed her marble lips against mine. This kiss was gentle, despite the hardness of her mouth. It was so light and innocent that it completely contradicted the way she was looking at me.

We parted, and I smiled at her, "Thank you."

She pulled away and looked at me with those indescribable topaz eyes of hers, "Um, would you mind if we left the dance a bit early tonight?"

There it was. A wave of disappointment washed over me, and my heart sunk so far that I could've sworn it did a swan dive into my stomach. Did she not want to be with me as much as I wanted to be around her? I thought the dance was something we could share, something we could use to be together in public, almost like we were normal, when we totally were _not_.

"Uh…okay." I said, and my voice didn't sound as confident and strong as I'd wanted it to be.

She looked at me with sadness, as if she felt my pain like I could feel hers right now. Again, that peculiar talent of mine was rearing its head - in a good or bad way, I wasn't sure.

"I was going to take you to meet my family tonight…after we were at the dance for a while, was what I was saying." She explained, looking pleadingly at me. "I want them to meet you. Carlisle and Esme. They are practically my real parents."

I cocked my head to the side, all foolish depression I had felt rushing away, "Of course. I'd like that." I said, genuinely pleasant. I hadn't expected that at all, and I was surprised. In a definite good way. I'd love to meet the people who helped Bella through her dark days when she was new to the world of vampires.

Bella smiled, and the very look of it seemed like it could melt butter. "Good. You aren't mad, huh? Because I want to leave the dance early."

I laughed at that, incredulously, "You can't honestly think I'd rather spend four hours at a dance instead of meeting your parents?" Funny how many guys pale at the thought of meeting someone's parents, but when Bella told me she wanted me to meet her "parents," I couldn't have been more excited.

But despite the slight excitement of the situation, I couldn't help but feel the natural tingle of anxiety.

Of course, the usual questions stabbed at me, the usual worries - what if they didn't like me? What if I do something completely gross and unnatural? What if I forget my manners? Ugh.

_Yes, ma'am, no ma'am. Yes, sir, no, sir. Just like Mom had taught me._ That would help me for sure.

Sensing the look on my face, Bella touched a cold palm to my cheek, "You'll be fine."

I scoffed, "I hope so."

"Well, I guess I'd better leave you to stew about your game." Bella said, making her way to the still-open window. I watched her sinuous, graceful gait as she made her way to the window, sitting on the sill. "Good luck again."

With a wink, she flung herself from the window, disappearing before my eyes could adjust.

Shaking my head and trying to figure out what had just happened, I walked over to the beanbag and collapsed into its comforting embrace. The beads inside of the frumpy chair crinkled and shifted beneath my weight and I leaned my head back, closing my eyes, the sudden dread of the situation coming over me.

The movie _Meet the Parents _suddenly flashed before my eyes and I shoved my fists into my eyes, rubbing frantically.

_Meet your unbelievably wonderful, caring, immortal vamp-parents? Sure, Bella, why the hell not? _The mocking thought entered my brain in a sardonic manner that shocked me. What had happened to the excitement? That was all gone down the shitter, for sure.

Snuggling deeper into the beanbag, hoping it would swallow me whole, I groaned in displeasure.

_Meet the parents? No problem, right?_

A sarcastic answer permeated my thoughts.

_Right._

* * *

_**End Chapter Twenty Two.**_

_And there y'all have it! I hope this chapter was up to par with the others. I haven't really thought about this story for a while, but I do know I want to get it finished soon. I hope that everyone enjoys this! I had a fun time writing it - the usual, high school scenes are a welcome break from all the dramatic material, though that was hella fun to write as well. Anyway, I hope that everyone enjoyed this new chapter. Sorry it was so late, I've just had no inspiration at all for this fic. _

_So, I would love it if y'all reviewed! It would make my day!_

_Thanks for reading! _


	24. Future, Fashion, and Football

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Twilight._

_Okay, so here's the next chapter for this fic of mine! I am trying to update now as often as I can because I really want to finish this story lol. Anyway, I hope that everyone enjoys this latest chapter! _

* * *

**Long Road to Ruin  
****Chapter Twenty Three: Future, Fashion, and Football**

* * *

**Bella. **

My feet glided across the ground, barely stirring up leaves as I ran. I enjoyed the wind blowing through my hair, fanning it behind me. Though it was unneeded, I inhaled deeply, enjoying the crisp, cool air of fall, made even cooler by the climate of Forks. The sense of exhilaration I got from running was something that we all shared, Edward especially. It was one part of this life that I loved.

I couldn't get the smile from my face as I came upon the house in a matter of seconds. Each time I saw it, I couldn't help but feel a sense of awe. Yes, it was a large house, and we had lived in large houses before, but I particularly liked this one. It was open, with a large glass wall of windows on one side., scaling up the entire house.

I stopped on a dime at the doorstep, my hair blowing on front of my shoulders as the back draft kicked in. I knew my hair was tangled, but I couldn't find it in me to care.

I couldn't stop thinking about the game tonight - I would finally get to see Jasper in his element. He loved sports. Out of our many nighttime conversations, I knew that much at least. I knew the basic concept of football, but never really sat through an entire game. Emmett and Edward watched the sport on television, among many other things - like wrestling - that I just didn't get into.

But now I was excited to watch a game, something that I wasn't sure I'd ever felt in my decades of existence.

I opened the door a little late, and came face to face with Alice, who was standing at the door, looking at me pleasantly.

"Hello, Bella." She grinned impishly, and I felt a curtain of dread come across me.

"Alice." I acknowledged curtly, aware of where this was going, but not enjoying it one bit.

"Please?"

"No."

"Bella!" She whined my name.

"Alice!" I faux whined her name back, in imitation of her. I placed my hands on my hips and looked at her with contempt.

"Bella." Alice's voice was now calm and quiet, convincing, almost scarily so. How such a short person could be so terrifying was completely beyond me. "Honey. You want to look nice for Jasper, yes?"

I pursed my lips, thinking that over. Normally, I don't care what I wear. I usually just threw on something and left the house in my human life, and now that I was a vampire, things were only slightly different. I threw things on, and then after I got home, Alice threw them out. Like I couldn't wear the same thing twice. We had the money to afford clothes - as many as we wanted, but sometimes I found that it was unnecessary.

But what Alice was wanting to do now was something I hated with a fiery passion of a million hells - and, yes, I meant for that to be melodramatic.

_Bella Barbie._

She did have a point, though. I usually never dressed up at school. Jasper had never seen me in anything more unusual than a sweater and jeans. And…maybe I kind of wanted to dress up for him…

_Ugh. What was this guy doing to me?_

"You're going to say yes…" Alice teased.

"Oh, shut up." I playfully said, giving her a joking look.

"Oh, don't worry." Alice reassured, "I'll dress you up like the diva you are _after _the ballgame."

"_Thank you_, oh Great Alice." I voiced sarcastically.

"But you are changing out of _that_ before the ballgame." Alice called after me. I had just started to go up the spiraling staircase that lead to the second floor. I turned around, to find that she was right behind me. I gave her a glaring look, and she responded with, "Don't make me get violent, Swan-Cullen."

"Whatever, Brandon-Masen-Cullen…" I trailed off before busting into giggles at the absurdly long last name. But we all had them, so I guess it was more of a glaring joke about all of us.

Alice laughed along with me as we moved into my room. She followed behind me like a bad stench. I almost snickered to myself at that thought.

"Your hair looks like a haystack." She said, ruffling through my brunette tangles.

"I was _running_." I told her as she made a beeline to my closet. I felt a groan coming on, and when she emerged from my large walk-in closet, filled with a bunch of stuff that I hardly wore, but Alice loved, I let the groan loose. In her hands, she held a pair of slacks that looked way to dressy for a ballgame, and a low cut top that looked like I would be spilling out of it - despite my lack of things to "spill."

"No." I stated fiercely, looking at the items of clothing with severe distaste. "Can I just let you do what you want with me for the dance, and just wear this?" I motioned to what I had on. Definitely not bad looking, for my standards. And Alice had approved me before we left this morning - like she did with everyone.

Alice narrowed her eyes at me, but I could see that my logic was winning her over. If I didn't wear this outfit, it would be free to wear to something else. She obviously wasn't sure if she wanted to waste those clothes on a football game… "Fine. But I get free reign over _everything_ you wear for the dance."

"As long as it isn't something too extravagant." I told her, "I asked Jasper, and he said girls normally wear dresses, and the guys are basically going to wear button up shirts and nice pants."

Alice looked at me, and then sighed, "Fine."

She moved to the closet and hung up the outfit she almost cursed me with. The black haired vampire looked around before coming out of the room and facing me. "Well, I guess we just wait then."

I looked at her in amusement, "_You're _not going to change clothes for the football game?"

"Nope." She popped the 'P' sound. "I don't need to."

"And I did?"

"Sweetie, I love you, but sometimes you are seriously fashion challenged."

I laughed at that, before moving over to the couch I had in my room and sitting down. I looked at the massive amount of books aligned on my shelf, taking up the whole expanse of the wall practically, and tried to pick out a title to read to pass the time.

Alice sighed airily at me, looking at my total lack of caring with what I was going to wear. Though the fact that I had given her the freedom to do whatever she wanted with my dance attire didn't settle my stomach at all.

Alice said with a smile, "You know Carlisle and Esme are ecstatic to meet your mate."

"Mate?" I said, the word sounded foreign on my lips, but it fit the situation. It made me smile, knowing that was what Jasper was to me - an eternal partner. One that would complete my existence like Carlisle and Esme, like Emmett and Rosalie, like Edward and Alice. "Yeah…I'm glad for them to meet him too."

Alice looked as if she wanted to ask me something, but she thought better of it. I could only imagine what it was that she wanted to know, but I didn't press her on the issue. I could tell that his was a question that would shit on the situation, and frankly, I wasn't in the mood to have my good mood drained. I know that sounded selfish, but hopefully whatever question she had in mind could wait until after Jasper met my parents, at least.

Instead, she left me with this piece of advice, "I think there are some things you need to think about that might not have occurred to you yet."

I looked at her quizzically, though I knew what she meant. I knew that painfully well.

"I'm not going to tell you what to do, because everyone has their own path to follow, but now…now I see Jasper becoming one of us." She said in that sage like way she has, "I'm not sure how yet, but it is vivid and clear. And you have to think if that's what you want."

An icy grip clenched my non-beating heart, and I shakily inhaled. My mind went blank for a moment in shock. I had briefly considered this option once, but didn't want to force it on Jasper. If he wanted it, then we would discuss it. I…

I wasn't sure if I could do that.

Shaking my head, I looked at Alice with my eternal eyes, and she could see in my expression that I had no clue what to do.

* * *

Despite the serious nature our conversation had taken, all of the Cullen clan found themselves at the football game, minus Carlisle and Esme, of course, though I'm sure that would've been interesting if they'd shown up.

Emmett was decked out in school colors. A thick sweatshirt with our mascot painted on the front, and a pair of inflatable clappers that they were selling at the front of the gate, where people would pay to get in. He was hooting and hollering as they announced the players from our school, going particularly loud when Jasper was announced. I smiled at that while I clapped happily. It made me happy that my "big brother" liked my mate… I got chills thinking the word _mate _every time it entered my thoughts.

Alice was by Emmett's side, an interesting contrast, with Emmett being the biggest member of our family and Alice being the smallest. She had a pair of pom poms and were waving them about, enthusiastic in the way only she could be.

Edward and Rosalie sat beside each other, chatting about something or another. They were the more reserved part of their significant other, and I smiled. It was almost comical.

The game started with the roar of our crowd. It was especially loud with my vampiric hearing, but I just smiled and tried to focus on the game, but there were just a few words that came through.

"That brunette right there? Isabella… She's dating Jasper."

"I hear they're all extremely rich. He's lucky."

"He probably likes her only for her looks and money."

"No. Jasper's not like that. I've seen him around her, and it's different. He _cares_ about her."

I felt my lips curve upward in a smile as I focused my eyes on the field, not tearing them away from the man in the number '11' jersey. I couldn't help but be in awe of him as he tore across the field, strong muscles in his legs pumping, propelling him forward. I heard him call out several times, but the ball never made it to him.

My extra sensitive vision helped with watching him. Every minute movement I could see with perfect clarity. I could see the sweat dripping off his brow from beneath his helmet. Could see his brown eyes narrow in determination. Could see the way his mouth moved when he called for the ball.

I was nicely distracted watching him.

The game went on.

Jasper got the ball, and I felt myself tense in anticipation.

And then he was off.

Down the field, weaving like a fish through water, through the massive amount of bodies that were pressing in on him from all sides, and then he reached his destination.

"Touchdown! Touchdown Spartans!"

I leaped up and cheered for him, my hands clapping furiously, but at the normal human rate. Wouldn't want something like this to expose us for what we were. Alice and Emmett were going crazy, and Edward and Rosalie were clapping resignedly, but with huge grins on their faces.

I was still standing long after they kicked the field goal and the other team was working on getting a touchdown of their own.

"Getting into it, are we, sis?" Emmett grinned broadly in my direction. Alice was focused on the game, which surprised me. I guess it was the atmosphere.

I stuck my tongue out at him playfully before I sat back down, still slightly on edge and feeling the adrenaline running through my own veins, even though I had only the slightly inkling about what was going on.

Soon, it was a few seconds before halftime. I could feel the tense atmosphere around us, even the game was only about half over.

That was when it happened.

The ball entered Jasper's hands, but as soon as it did, one of the opposing players weaved around the defense. Just as Jasper was about to turn and run, the other player barreled into him with such a force that I was immediately frozen into place. My other family members had quieted, and looked on with worry, but that was nothing in comparison to what I was feeling now.

I could still hear his heartbeat, but it was a mixture of staggering for breath and going extremely fast because of his physical exertion. I heard a muted squealing beneath me - the sound of the bleachers bending into a perfect cast of my hands as I clenched my fingers tightly around the metal.

Our whole side had gone deathly quiet.

The enemy player rose from him, and I saw Jasper lying on the grass, the ball still clutched underneath his arm like precious cargo. His chest was heaving up and down, and he was struggling for breath - he had gotten the wind knocked out of him. His helmet was still on, thank goodness.

After a few seconds that seemed like hours, Jasper seemed to collect himself, and he sat up, placing a slender hand on the hard surface of his helmet. He got up and swaggered slightly, while the guy who had tackled him just stared on like a moron. Tyler came up and kept him from falling over completely, though, and I saw Jasper's face crinkle into a lovely smile for some odd reason.

"C'mon." Tyler said, leading Jasper over to the sidelines as everyone clapped, glad that Jasper had gotten up on his own and wasn't paralyzed or something equally awful. "You need a rest anyway."

I didn't move. I don't think I could without rushing over there and showing that asshole that maimed Jasper what a _real _takedown felt like.

Though, I did loosen my hands from the bleachers, prying my fingers from the metal one by one. Hopefully no one asked about that little development. I don't think anyone noticed except my family, and even they didn't look too concerned about what was going on over with me. They actually looked worried for Jasper, which I was relieved about. At least they cared enough to be worried.

After Tyler carried Jasper to the sidelines, they sat him down and he took his helmet off. His sweaty blonde hair was matted with sweat, and his brown eyes looked tired. His cheeks were stained red from all the running he had to do. Another guy was sent out there in Jasper's place as Tyler reluctantly walked back onto the field behind him.

"I'm fine, I'm fine." I could hear Jasper protest, his voice tired. "I need to be out there."

"It's almost halftime." The coach said to him, and he groaned, leaning his head back against the fence that separated the crowd from the field. Many people were lined up against the gate, for the view. "Just rest."

"Fine." Jasper said in frustration, looking toward the clock. It ran out shortly after.

Someone then helped Jasper up, and they all walked to the field house for halftime, for planning on what they were going to do in the last quarters of the ballgame, and the dance team took the field.

"He's going to be fine." Alice said, looking at me. "No worries."

"Heh." I coughed a laugh, "Easy for you to say."

"Yes, it is." She said, and the inside joke in her tone was impossible to miss. I smiled reluctantly, and it felt forced, like it was against my nature to smile when Jasper was hurt. Even if it was only a glancing blow.

Halftime passed staggeringly slow. The dance team performed twice, followed by the flag girls along with the band. I just waited for the game to restart, to see Jasper take the field again.

Then, the team came into sight. Jasper was walking normally now, having shaken off whatever he had been feeling after he got knocked around. His heart beat was regular, if a little excited to get back on the field. I felt the weight lift from me, being replaced with relief.

"See?" Alice said in an I-told-you-so manner.

"Yeah, yeah." I waved her off.

She gave me a little smirk and turned back to the game.

I watched the game a little bit closer for the last two quarters, as if I could do anything to keep Jasper from getting pummeled again. Body wise, he was slimmer and sleeker than most guys, which made him ideal for speed, but he also had a bit of muscle mass. Still, most guys made Jasper look very thin and fragile, which I knew he wasn't.

The game was tied in the last seconds of the fourth quarter. I felt my strong muscles tense in response, and tried not to make another dent in the bleachers. I watched every movement on the field, trying to absorb it all. I didn't remember the last time I was so enthralled with a sport - if there even _was _a time when I was remotely interested in anything like that.

Tyler faked the pass to Jasper. That was what they were expecting, I assume, since they've done it often. Tyler took it in his own hands and found a pocket through a bunch of big, burly players, and he was free. Wide open and sprinting toward the final goal. Every guy that tried to put a body on him was left empty handed, and he arrived in the designated spot.

The clock ran out.

The crowd around me were completely silent, shocked as they grasped what happened.

"Touchdown! Touchdown! Forks wins!" The announcer broke the unearthly silence, and then the crowd around me erupted.

When I say _erupted_, I mean it in every sense of the word.

It was almost like they'd won the Super Bowl or something, it was that extreme, but this was just the opening game. I had read a bit about Forks High's history in sports, which was horribly dismal, so I guessed this was something that they were extremely proud of. I felt quite proud myself, standing up and cheering just as loud as Emmett and Alice. Alice shot over a bit too quickly and hugged me, and we jumped up and down like girly girls.

Through the madness, I saw Jasper run over and practically jump on top of Tyler, hooting and hollering and going nuts with all the rest of the team. He knocked their helmets together and shouted in utter glee. I felt his happiness, as if it radiated out of him, casting a wide net and basking everyone around him, and couldn't help but smile as widely as my mouth would allow.

I felt the electric joy around me, and couldn't help but jump around, holding onto Alice, while Emmett came and picked us both up for a split second and shouting to us, "Hell yeah!"

The celebrating lasted well beyond the normal limits, and the other team left the field, heads down, after shaking hands with our guys, while our cheers and jeers continued into the dark night sky.

All the while, I couldn't help but think:

Who knew football could be this…exciting?

* * *

_**End Chapter Twenty Three.**_

_Aw, Bella is opening up to football! Haha. This chapter was extremely fun to write. I mixed just a bit of the looming drama with the fun football game, and I rather liked how it turned out. So I really hope that y'all like it too! I would love to hear from you and listen to everyone's thoughts! Thanks for reviewing last time! They provide a bunch of inspiration to write. And, also, I saw Eclipse the other day - interesting movie lol - and saw that Forks High was home of the "Spartans" so I changed it, in case anyone noticed. So ya. Haha._

_Anyway, thanks so much for reading! Hope you liked it!_


	25. Dance in the Dark

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Twilight._

_Yay! We've reached 500+ reviews! I'm so happy that everyone likes this story, and likes it enough to review and favorite it and everything. Thanks so much to everyone for all of their support! I really appreciate it! And, without further wait, here's chapter twenty four!_

* * *

**Long Road to Ruin  
****Chapter Twenty Four: Dance in the Dark**

* * *

**Jasper.**

I had to admit, winning the first game of the season was something that I would never forget.

It was hard to forget those things, anyway. The cheering, the shouting, the celebrating - everything that happened that day would be etched into my memory. It probably sounds foolish, since it wasn't even a major game or anything like that, but for us, it was just as good as if we'd won the state championship.

I was still a bit woozy from the hit I'd taken on the field - the one that made me sit out far longer than I'd wanted to, even though, in reality, I hadn't sat out for that long. But, for me, any moment spent out of the game, was a moment too long, when I wanted to help my team win.

The locker room after the game was a blitz of cheers and taunts and cocky attitudes, and I couldn't help but smile at the sound of it all as I changed into my ratty sweats and a t-shirt. Forks was too broke to afford a shower room in the field house, so we all had to head to our respective houses to clean up before the dance. Not that I minded. I was never too fond of the idea of showering in front of people. I don't see how anyone could be, actually.

I left the locker room early, eager to get in the shower and change clothes, but also eager to take a couple of Tylenol or something. My head was throbbing, despite the fact that I had a helmet on when I took the hit on the field.

As I walked to the car, I could hear the shouts and hollers of the students, still worked up from the game. I was too - I could still feel the adrenaline pumping though my veins, a residual effect from the game.

I opened the passenger side door, and climbed in, as my mother cranked the car before leaning over and hugging my sweaty, tired form, "Great game, sweetheart!"

I chuckled, only slightly uncomfortable, "Thanks, Ma."

She parted from me and put the car into drive. We pulled smoothly away from the school and onto the empty road. All the other cars were lingering around, with a few, like us, leaving early so they could get out of the way of traffic.

The car ride to the house was filled with random conversation. Mom told me about how Bella was cheering for me, jumping around with Emmett and Alice, and how she looked worried for my safety when I got clocked like a newbie.

"Shoot, everyone was so quiet!" Mom said, looking at me kindly, "It was like someone had shot you, Jasper. It scarred me!"

"Sorry." I said bashfully, hating the fact that I'd managed to worry both her _and _Bella. And maybe the entire school.

We continued to talk for as long as we could, and then Mom turned into our driveway. Even though Bella had sworn to look out for me, I couldn't help but worry every time I saw the house. Especially since my mother had let in Victoria without so much as a blink of her eye.

Mom opened the door and got out of the car, and I followed suit. She walked up to the door and I tailed behind her, looking around. Yeah, as if I could see a vampire before it attacked. Geez. Talk about outmatched. I'd rather get smacked down a thousand times by that boulder-esque football player. Bring on the concussions.

She then moved to unlock the door, slipping inside and I did the same. Okay, so everything was fine. But I couldn't help but be a little bit worried that I was leaving my mother at home by herself while I went off gallivanting at a dance, and then met the vampire parents of my…girlfriend?

Yeah, I suppose that's what I would call her. Girlfriend. I couldn't think of anything else, but the word just didn't sound right. There should be another, more idyllic term for our relationship without sounding so juvenile. But, then again, I was a juvenile, so I guessed it was appropriate.

Girlfriend was the human term for it, but I couldn't help but wonder what the vampiric term would be.

Mom must have noticed me just standing around, because she clapped me on the back, "Are you okay, honey? Do you need something for your head?"

As soon as she brought it up, my head started throbbing. "That would be nice."

Mom smiled at me, "Well, you go take your shower and get ready. I'll try to find you some medicine for your head."

I nodded, trying to ignore the panging in my head, and moved up the stairs to get ready. There was something itching at the back of my skull, and I was pretty sure it didn't have anything to do with my injuries.

Shaking my head, I grabbed a towel and made my way into the bathroom, where I showered, taking the time to scrub myself thoroughly. Wouldn't want to be that sweaty when I was around Bella. Her sense of smell was probably equally as strong as every other sense in her body.

After I left the shower, I walked into my room and changed into the clothes I had laid out before. I found myself hurrying, as I had already taken long enough in the shower. Looking at the clock, I realized that the dance must have started already.

Racing down the stairs, I almost tripped over my untied shoes. Growling at myself, I continued my way down the steps - more carefully now - and then bent over to tie the damned things.

"In a hurry?" Mom asked. She was seated on the couch with a bowl of popcorn in her lap, watching something on the television. She hadn't even looked at me and knew what was going on - a mother always knows, I suppose.

"I guess."

"Bella will wait for you." Mom said, and there was a hint of knowing in her voice.

"Thanks for the insight, Ma." I said, thinking about what else I would have to do before I made my way back to the school. I could remember nothing else I needed to do, so I walked over to the couch after grabbing my keys, and kissed my mom's head. "Bye. I'll be back."

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do." Mom called playfully after me. I snorted at that and gave her a final wave before I shut the door behind me.

* * *

The drive to the dance was filled with the random sound of my radio. I had actually caught the tail end of the people covering the high school games around town, and our victory was apparently big news. Not surprising, since we had lost a shit load of games, and winning the one on opening night was always a big thing.

I turned into the school with a strange feeling of lead in my chest. I didn't think I would be this nervous, but I was. I guess it had to do with the fact that I would actually be at a school function with Bella…and because I had to meet her vampire parents afterward.

Yeah, that would make anyone nervous.

I cut off the engine and got out of the car. After I shut the door behind me, I turned around and came face to face with the very girl I had been wanting to see, but my heart jumped in fright in my chest, not expecting to see her luminous features, highlighted by the moonlight.

"Jasper." She said, and her voice was breathy. Immediately, I could tell that there was something wrong.

"Are you okay?" Were the first words out of my mouth.

She shook her head, as if to clear it, before plastering a smile on her face. "I'm fine."

I kinda doubted that.

Her hand was immediately in mine, and the sudden cold made me shiver. Bella looked at me with her wide, topaz eyes, her lips parted slightly. I could practically feel the anxiety rolling off of her in waves, so much so that I thought I was going to be pulled in the undertow.

"Let's just go enjoy ourselves, okay?" Bella whispered to me, and the sound was so sincere, so kind, that I couldn't help but go along. If Bella wanted to tell me, she would tell me. Though the thought that it could be something about me flooded my mind, I pushed it back. Who was I to think that it was about me?

We entered through the front of the gym, underneath a canopy of colored paper and various other decorations. I felt her iron grip tighten against my fingers as we entered the place. It was strange, the amount of unease she was feeling, and it was almost as if it were effecting me as well.

Her worried golden eyes were regal, scanning the crowd for her siblings as we stepped onto the dance floor - which was technically the gym floor now, decorated along the sides with various tables. Many people sat in the bleachers, or at the tables, and still other couples danced. Bella locked eyes with Edward, who was standing alongside the wall with Alice. They looked strangely uptight as well. Rosalie was sitting at one of the tables, tapping her long white fingers on the paper that covered it. Emmett was no where in sight.

"Bella." I said, trying to make my voice sound forceful, but it didn't work as well as I had thought. The tension was catching.

"Let's dance." Bella said, bringing clasping my hand and bringing me over to the center of the floor.

She was trying to _distract _me.

I wanted to say that I would have nothing of it, but somehow, I just wanted to relax and revel in the moment. The moment that Bella and I could be out and about like a normal couple, when we were anything but.

Her thin arms formed a vice around my neck, and my hands found the curve of her waist and settled there. Luckily, the song playing was a rather slow song, and everyone had simmered down from the lively song that had been playing when we had entered the gym. Now everyone was filing on the dance floor, joining together, and dancing.

And we swayed.

It was strange, trying to keep up with the otherworldly grace that Bella displayed, but she seemed to be taking that down a level to keep up with me. We were quiet for a while, just enjoying each other's company. Though Bella seemed to be distracted by who knows what, she would smile at me and keep her attention on me. It was a while before I noticed that Alice and Edward had decided to dance as well, leaving whatever tension they had behind, and trying to enjoy themselves. Rosalie stayed put at her table, fighting off whoever decided to hit on her.

I stared at Bella, for once noticing what she wore. Her knee length, deep blue dress was stylish and suited her well. The neck was a scoop-like cut, and I couldn't help but want to kiss her collarbones that she had displayed so prominently.

Yeah, I'm a dork.

I played with a strand of her wavy brown locks and pulled her closer. She let me, because she knew that if I tried too hard that I would get no where and end up hurting myself. She _was_ practically made of stone, after all. I could feel the tension ease out of her joints, but the anxiety wasn't gone at all, so I decided to try and talk to her, try to get her mind off of what was bothering her so.

"I remember when I first met you, Bella." I said, my voice barely a whisper, but I knew she heard it.

She pulled away from where she had her head rested against my chest, and looked up at me, "Yeah, that was just a few months ago."

"No," I said, giving her a smile, "when I was ten."

Bella's face looked blank for a second, seemingly surprised that I had brought it up, or surprised that I had remembered it - I didn't know which.

"You remembered." Bella said, and she wasn't at all surprised. Most likely Edward had told her how much I had thought about that moment from the time that I had "officially" met her.

"I haven't forgot that, you know." I told her, quietly, so no one else would hear. Though it was painfully obvious that both Edward and Alice could hear, though they were now across the room, and Rosalie had gone painfully still at the table.

She was quiet, as if waiting for me to continue.

"It was with me all these years." I continued, "I could never get it out of my head. No matter how hard I tried. I dreamed about you, without even knowing your name. I was sure I was going insane because of how much I thought about you. I guess that was why no other girls really interested me. I tried, of course, but it never even compared to that one moment that I met you."

I looked down at her. We had stopped swaying altogether, and she was staring up at me with wide, touched eyes. There was a curious feeling emanating from her - something stronger than anything I'd ever felt. A feeling of the brightest warmth that I had ever felt flowed through me just by glancing at her. Just by connecting my eyes with hers.

"I'm glad I was able to meet you again. To prove that what I saw that day wasn't a product of my imagination." I chuckled slightly at that.

"I'm glad I was able to meet you again, too." Bella said, her voice barely there. It was strange, the sound of her voice.

"I'm still not sure why you did it - why you saved me."

Bella smiled, and it was bitter, but happy, at the same time, "I was hunting, at the time. Once you shut yourself off to your instincts, it's incredibly hard to stop, but I sensed the human blood - your blood - along with the cougar I was hunting. I stopped breathing, so I could turn off that hunting instinct. I was just a few feet away, watching you walk around with the strangest grin on your face. You were dirty, and just very _happy_. Then, when that…_animal_ attacked you, I knew I had no choice."

I stared at her, my mouth slightly agape at her confession.

"Somehow, though I had seen death and blood and horror before, I just couldn't bear to let you die. Your face…it stuck in my head. Your bright eyes and your cheerfully adventurous nature. I couldn't bear to let anything happen to you, so I saved you."

"Thank you." I said, but the words sounded clumsy and unrefined. Somehow inappropriate for the situation.

Bella laughed at that, and said, "There is no thanks necessary."

"You've saved my life twice."

"Because I _wanted_ to." Bella said, and suddenly the mood was more heady, "Because, though I didn't know it at the time. I didn't know it when I saved you that day. Not even when your face was plastered in my mind, childish and curious, I had no clue that…"

I waited, hanging on every word.

"I had no clue that you would mean the world to me. I did not know that one day, you would be the one thing that I would die for, live for, _exist_ for."

There was nothing to say to that.

I couldn't find words. Everything I wanted to say was either too cheesy or too immature. Too inappropriately dull and mundane. I couldn't even begin to describe how she made me feel, but I wasn't sure how to put that into words.

So I lowered my face down to meet hers, our lips brushing for a heart-stopping second, before I kissed her solid mouth.

I didn't care that people were staring. I didn't care that people would constantly talk about our relationship, because of how "strange" Bella and her family were. I didn't care about any of those trivial things. I just knew that by meeting Bella, a part of me had changed.

"I love you." I murmured against her lips.

She stilled in my arms, and pulled away, shocked by what she heard. She shouldn't be. Those words couldn't be any more real.

My head was still craned over her, our foreheads were pressed together, and her hand found its way to the back of my head. She eyelids fluttered shut, and she breathed in deeply. Her emotions were strange now - a mixture of elation, of confusion, and _regret_? I had yet to figure out how I could feel exactly what people were going through, but I didn't question it. I thought that would reveal itself in due time - hopefully.

Nonetheless, she snapped her eyes open and stared at me, all the while rubbing her icy fingers cross the nape of my neck, sending shivers of delight down my spine.

"I love you." She replied.

My muscles relaxed, though I didn't remember ever being tense, and my heart started on a race all by itself.

A grin spread across my face, and I couldn't help but smile at her. There was nothing I could say, nothing I could do, that could ever replicate that feeling. It was quite extraordinary. I pulled her closer to my body, and breathed in the sweet scent of her hair.

"You know, you can tell me whatever is wrong." I told her, as a song that was slightly faster came over the speakers. Some of the couples parted, while others seemed to not care - Bella and I were apart of the latter.

"I know." She whispered.

"So…why not tell me?"

Bella gave a hitching laugh, something that sounded almost like she was crying, but it had a note of that dry humor deep within it. "Not now."

I looked down at her for what seemed like the thousandth time that night. "Why?"

"Jasper, I am a selfish creature." Bella said, with a hint of self-loathing that I automatically disliked. "Can you blame me that I just want this last day of normalcy with you?"

"Last day?" I asked, and her finger found my lips quickly, before I could ask any more.

"Don't worry." She told me, "We've got everything under control."

Her reassurance was sincere, but somehow I wasn't satisfied.

"Where's Emmett?"

Bella was silent before answering, "He's…with your mother."

"My mom?" I almost shouted, but managed to keep my voice down, "What?"

"Alice had a vision…Victoria was in your house just before you two got home."

Suddenly, the nausea I had felt when I entered my house took on a whole new meaning - she had been there. And she was still close by. The sickening feeling in my stomach came back, despite the fact that she was no where around.

"Emmett volunteered, while we stayed here and kept up the charade." Bella said softly, "Please, don't be angry."

"I have to get home right now." I told her, wanting to break apart from her, but her arms were like a steel cage around my form. "I have to…"

"To what? There's nothing you can do right now. The best thing we can do right now is keep one of us at the house when your mother is home. At all times."

"Are you _positive_ that my mother is alright?"

Bella reached up and stroked my cheek, her icy fingers leaving a trail of fire on my flesh, "Alice hasn't seen anything. Emmett is with her. Your mother is fine. Now, please…"

I trusted Bella with my life. And I don't know why she would feel the need to lie about something so important as my mother's wellbeing.

So, I calmed down, though the tension never really left my shoulders, not even when Bella's hands pressed gently on them. She looked deep into my eyes, and I tried not to meet them, but I couldn't help myself, "Please, let's just enjoy the moment."

She was desperate to regain the mood from before, the mood of utter happiness and elation. For a moment, I felt bad that I was ruining her time, but my _mother _could be in danger. But I decided to humor her. I would dance with her. I would try to not stress her out, even though right now it felt like _I _was the one on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

She had said, _"Please, let's just enjoy the moment."_

So we did.

* * *

_**End Chapter Twenty Four.**_

_Just when ya think everything is gonna be okay, some other shit happens! I guess that's the moral of this chapter, haha. Anyway, I hope that everyone enjoyed this chapter! I'm really trying to update more often. I would love to hear your opinions on this fic of mine; I always love hearing feedback._

_Thanks for reading!_


	26. Meet the Cullens

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Twilight!_

_Alrighty! So here's the latest chapter of this fic. I'd like to thank all of the reviewers for…well, reviewing! That's just great. I'm glad that everyone is liking how this story is progressing, so I hope that everyone likes this chapter as well!_

* * *

**Long Road to Ruin  
****Chapter Twenty Five: Meet the Cullens**

* * *

**Jasper.**

I couldn't say that I wasn't worried. Because I was.

Even through the happiness-clouded haze of my mind, I couldn't help but feel guilt over what had transpired. Guilty for Emmett, because he was out there, guarding my mother because of my own stupid, human weakness. Guilty for my mom - because my relationship with Bella had put her through this in the first place. Guilty for…well, everything. Because right now, it seemed like everything was pretty much my fault.

We danced, we ate and drank the random snack foods that were at the party, we ignored the jealous gazes of Jessica and every other guy in the room. Because, hey, I was a lucky guy to have Bella on my arm, I knew this.

It was during the last slow dance of the evening that Bella wrapped her arms around me and said in my ear, "I'm truly sorry."

And the pain in her voice was so evident, so all-encompassing, that it seemed to mirror my own. I felt my heart constrict at her words, and I held her just a bit tighter.

The dance ended sooner than I'd thought, and we ended up going to my house first, and I wondered what she had in mind.

"Maybe we should wait for tomorrow to see my parents." Bella told me, her face beautiful and grave all at once, bathed in the moonlight. I looked at her and felt an unexpected weight being lifted from my shoulders. "Since tomorrow's Saturday, you can spend all day with us." She said in a slightly brighter tone.

I felt myself smiling, "That sounds perfect, actually."

Bella smiled before I left the car, walking up the stairs. She was going back to her house to change, and leaving me at the house for a minimal amount of time. Emmett was still standing guard outside the house, somewhere, and that gave me a sense of comfort.

I walked up the steps to the house, pausing slightly as that familiar sense of nausea overcame me. Pushing through it, I opened the door and saw that my mother was in the same place she was when I had left - the couch. Except now, she had dozed off, looking rather comfortable. I smiled at the familiar sight, and went to retrieve a blanket from the recliner in the corner, fluffing it out and draping it over her before I trekked upstairs as silently as I could.

Opening the door to my room was even harder than before. That damned sickening feeling. The dark and ominous feeling I always got when Victoria was around, crept up onto me like a ton of bricks. I twisted the knob and forced my way in, taking deep breaths, reassuring myself that nothing was there. That nothing was going to happen to me. Not with Emmett outside.

I shut the door and started to take off my shirt, feeling the elation of getting the tie off and then unbuttoning the stuffy shirt. Sighing, I happened to look back at the closed door, to see a rather conspicuous piece of paper taped to the wood. My heart stopped dead in my chest before sprinting.

Shakily walking over to the door, I ripped the paper off of the door and quickly fumbled open the letter.

_Good game tonight. Nasty fall you took, but I'm glad you're alright. I would hate for anyone to interrupt our fun.  
__- V_

There was the blood red kiss of lipstick at the corner, magnifying her twisted message a hundredfold.

The paper fell from my hands, which had suddenly gone ice cold, as did the rest of my body. I stepped back and let out a pathetic squeak, followed by a whispered, panicked, "Emmett…"

I knew he would hear me, and he did, materializing at the windowsill not seconds after I said his name. He pried the window open from the outside without breaking the glass, though I had no time to be impressed. He was over by my side in a flash, looking at me with curiosity, "What…what is it, Jazz?"

I couldn't speak. I was so frozen by terror that I could do nothing but shake and tremble like some damsel. I had never felt so helpless in my life. I pointed to the paper that lay on the floor in front of me, and Emmett moved liquidly to pick it up.

Less than a millisecond after that, he was growling, a harsh, fierce sound, deep in his chest. I turned and saw the purest look of hatred and anger cross his face, "She was in here."

"I…I don't know when…" I told him, "But it wasn't after I got home from school…it must've been before you got here, but after I left for the ballgame."

"_So_! She still got _in here_." Emmett was trembling, but for a different reason than I was. His body shook in pure, unadulterated anger, unlike my body, which was rattled like a leaf in a hurricane, but in fear. The paper was starting to tear under his remarkable strength. Trying to find a way to calm him down, I looked around…

Bella chose to climb through the window at that moment.

Immediately, her face registered the situation, "What's wrong? Emmett? Jasper?"

Emmett spun around, "Read this."

Bella took the paper in her hands, her eyes skimming the words that were etched on it. Her face quickly morphed from concerned to boiling with anger. She whipped her head up, hands scarily still on the paper, "What do we do?"

"Have this house protected as often as we can." Emmett said, looking from me to Bella. "We can't let anything get through the cracks. I'll tell Alice to start looking more carefully."

A serious Emmett - it was a rare sight, to me at least. Emmett had always been jovial the times that I'd seen him, but now it was strange. He looked…deadly. Like a true vampire.

"I'm staying here tonight." Emmett said with a look in his eyes that told me that he would not be argued with, "Sorry if you two had anything planned, but I'm not leaving. Not tonight. Lock down starts now."

I felt a surge of awe at the protective way Emmett said those words, and something swelled within me. A sense of friendship, strong and building, and I knew that it would get stronger over time.

Bella looked compassionate, "Oh, no, Emmett…we couldn't ask you to take more time out of your - "

"Bells. Sis. I totally get that you don't want to ruffle anyone's feathers with this. But I _want _to stay. And if she does show up, two is better than one, right?" His face broke into a grin, dimples prominently showing.

Bella sighed, obviously knowing how hard-headed Emmett was, and then relented, "Fine."

Emmett's grin grew, "I knew you'd see it my way."

Then, we settled in for a rather strange night.

* * *

I woke early. The sun wasn't out at all, as usual, and the clouds were a heavy blanket over the sky. I had no idea how much I'd slept. I didn't think I'd sleep at all. I closed my eyes and tried, but when I did, I ended up seeing those menacing red eyes, and the wild tangle of equally red curls…the snarling teeth…

I shook my head and looked up. Bella was sitting, leaning against the bed, with her hand twined with mine. I wondered if she'd moved all night, for that was how she had looked before darkness claimed me throughout the night.

"Ah, sleepy head." Emmett teased, and I turned to face him. He was sitting in the beanbag chair, facing the television. His ferocious mood from the night before seemed gone, but the tension in his shoulders was still there. I then noticed that Bella was stroking the back of my hand with her fingertips, a soothing gesture.

"You didn't sleep well last night, did you?" Bella said, and it was obvious that she already knew the answer.

"Nah, but it's fine. When can we meet the Maw and Paw?" I said, my accent drawling thickly around each word. Emmett and Bella let out a laugh at that, and I felt glad that I could make them amused at a time like this.

Bella rose from the bed, walking over to the window and looking at the clouded blanket that draped around the town of Forks. She turned and looked at me, "We'd better see what your mother is doing first. We don't want to leave her unprotected."

I felt a slight chill in the air - it looked like it would be this way until Victoria was dead. "Right." I rose from the bed, and wandered to the door. "Y'all stay here, I'll go check."

I opened the door and walked down the stairs, slightly groggy from sleep-deprivation, and yawned on the way down. I wasn't sure what time it was, but Mom was usually up before I was. So I walked in the direction of the crackling bacon, and saw with great relief that Mom was awake - and in one piece. She turned with a smile and said, "Good morning, sleepyhead."

"Mornin'." I mumbled, walking over to the kitchen table and sitting down.

"Did you have fun at the dance, sweetie?" She asked, flipping over an egg she was frying before she returned to the bacon.

"Yeah…" I said, remembering all of the wonderful and awful events that had happened last night, trying to find an appropriate response that wouldn't show I was lying, "It was interesting, for sure."

"I take that as a yes." Mom said slyly before moving the finished eggs to a plate and then the bacon. She stirred a pot of grits, and then clanked the spoon against the side of the pot, removing the excess from it. She turned to me, "I made you breakfast."

I cocked my head, "You're not eating?"

Mom looked at me smiling. She was already dressed in a pair of slacks and a nice, green top. Her hair was pulled back into a high bun, and a few tendrils escaped and fell around her face. All in all, Mom cleaned up good. "I've got a conference in Seattle today…something that has to do with my job or whatever. I'll probably be gone all day, so I just thought I'd make you breakfast since you'll be on your own for the other two meals."

"You always make breakfast, anyway."

"True, true."

I got up and walked over to the counter, where my breakfast was lying. I moved the eggs and bacon aside and plopped several hearty spoonfuls of grits onto the space designated. "Mm." I said, looking at the stuff on my plate. My mother knew me well. Fried eggs and bacon and grits? Ah, I could die happy.

Pausing at the strange thought, I made my way over to the table and sat down, already munching on the bacon before my ass hit the seat.

I saw Mom gathering up her purse and her keys. She looked at me with a smile before she walked over and kissed my forehead. _Such a Mama's boy… _I thought, slightly embarrassed, to myself.

"Bye, sweetheart. I'll see you later."

"Bye, Ma."

Then, she was gone, leaving me alone in the kitchen.

"Aw, Mama's boy."

I jolted at the deep, joking voice, looking over to the doorframe, where Emmett's massive form stood, leaning against the side of the wall and looking very out of place. His smile was plastered on his face, and he grinned at me, making it wider. I laughed at him, and dove back into my breakfast.

"It's a good thing. Of what I can remember, me and my Ma were close, too."

I looked at him, and now he was sitting in the chair across from me. I could never get over the fact that someone so burly and muscular was able to move without a sound. It was slightly unnerving.

"Of what you can…remember?" I bit. It was a curious statement, and I wanted to know what he was getting at, surprisingly.

"Well, yeah." Emmett said, leaning back on the two legs of the chair somewhat gingerly. Again, this guy never failed to surprise me, "Most human memories fade with time." He tapped a finger against his head, rustling the curly brown hair that resided there. "It's kind of like a fuzzy haze over them, but you can usually remember the most important ones…the ones that mean the most."

I looked at him curiously, suddenly finding myself wanting to know the story of this guy.

He knew what I was wondering about, and he sighed, "You wanna know how I was changed?"

I looked down at my eggs and started to cut them with my fork, trying to focus on something else. The runny yolk spilled out and ran into the bacon, then the grits. I stared, fascinated at the mundane occurrence, but then I looked up to see that Emmett's eyes were eager, and happy to be talking to me.

Again, I bit, "Sure. If you want."

"I want." He said, grinning largely, "Well, basically, I was out hunting. I came across a _huge _grizzly, which would feed me and my family for a good long while. Time were hard, so I was determined to get that bear." He gave a chuckle, but it somehow lacked mirth, a strange thing to be associated with Emmett, "I guess you can figure out how it all went down. I was careless, thinking I could take down that bear all by myself. Somehow, I'm not sure how, but the bear attacked me, and I was near death. All I could think of was how I was going to disappoint my family. The snow was _so _cold, and getting colder by the second, and that bear just wasn't going to give up…" He trailed off, and I knew what memories had followed him into the afterlife.

"That's when Rose found me."

That stopped my train of thought completely, "Rose…as in, Rosalie?"

Emmett saw my shock and laughed, this time full and booming, "Yup. My Rosie saved me from that bear, and took me to Carlisle, where…well, this happened. And everything else was history."

I smiled, suddenly feeling a new respect forming for the beautiful blonde. She had saved Emmett when she didn't know him from Adam. I didn't know much about Rosalie, but I found this incredibly kind of her.

"So, that's basically what my story is." Emmett said, and there was a peculiar glint in his eyes, "I wonder what _your _story is going to be."

I paused, the fork in my hand clinking to the side of the plate, confusion crossing my face. I was about to ask him what he meant, but then I heard Bella's tinkling voice coming from the door. "_Emmett_!"

Emmett looked sheepish, and scratched the back of his head in what I assumed was a habit of his when he was embarrassed. "Hey, Bells. Everything go good?"

Bella was holding a small, expensive-looking cell phone in her bone white fingers, and I could see she was using all of her strength not to crush it into pieces. "Yeah. Alice said there's going to be a thunderstorm today."

Emmett rose quickly, "_Excellent_."

I looked to Bella, and then to Emmett, my eyebrows knitting in confusion, "Uh…why is that good?"

Emmett snickered, and clapped a large hand on my back. "You'll see."

I looked to Bella, who was looking a bit peeved, but also a bit excited. She looked at me with a pair of mischievous eyes, and said, "Ready to go meet the family?"

I gulped, looking at my food. "Uh, let me eat first."

The two vampires laughed.

I wish I could've found what was so funny.

* * *

Bella drove my little car to the Cullen household. I heard Emmett complain about how slow she was going, but she just sighed and didn't even more the gas meter above the designated speed limit.

"Geez, you know we're never in wrecks. Vampires can't get _in _wrecks." Emmett said, trying to force his logic on her, but it obviously wasn't working. "Even so, we wouldn't _die_."

"Yes, but, _Jasper_ isn't a vampire." She said, and there was a funny little note to her voice. Something that I couldn't even bother to decipher for myself. It was odd, and as we drove, I tried to piece it together, but with no avail.

After we drove for a while, the trees started to get thicker, if that was possible in Forks. They encompassed every side of the car, and I wondered when we would actually get to the elusive Cullen house. Suddenly, the car turned into a road that otherwise would've been hidden, hard to see by anyone. I knew if I was the one who was driving, I would've passed it completely.

The trees encroached upon this road as well, but the space got wider and wider as we came upon one of the most beautiful houses I'd ever seen. Three stories, with light colored walls and mahogany wood… _Fitting. _I thought to myself as Bella parked the car in a spacious garage. My eyes widened at what I saw.

Cars. But, more than the vast number were the types. A Jeep, a red BMW, a Volvo - some I'd seen at school and others that I'd never even known they'd had… Was that a _Ferrari_?

Emmett chuckled at my expression from the backseat, and put his mammoth hand on my head gently. "Impressed?"

"Very." I croaked.

We got out of the car, and I was speechless at the amount of space this little garage had. Bella and Emmett led the way up the stairs from the garage and into a huge room, where Alice was waiting, a ball of energy if I'd ever seen one. "Jasper!" She crowed, hugging me. "Ah, good to see you without the pretense of school!"

"Ur…uh, yeah." I said, and everyone laughed at my speechlessness. I wasn't quite used to _Bella _touching me yet, let alone the strangely enthusiastic pixie vamp.

"That noggin of yours will be fine in a few days. You had no major damage." She said, and I remembered her gift of reading into the future. Bella sent her a look, I assumed, and she sighed, "Alright, fine." She parted from me, and turned, where Edward was suddenly standing. She danced toward him, and wrapped an arm around his waist.

"Jasper." Edward acknowledged with a crooked smile.

"Edward." I mocked him, and he chuckled at that.

I saw Rosalie sitting over in the corner of the living room, glancing over at us every now and then but altogether looking unimpressed. I guessed it was the living room that we were in - there was a large, flat screen television mounted on the wall, and a couch, along with a few chairs. A magnificent grand piano sat perched on a raised platform, and I looked over to it.

When I looked back at the people gathered around me, two others had made their entrance, these two I'd never seen before. Yet their looks were just as prominent as the other members of their family.

The woman had long, honey brown hair that waved down to the middle of her back. Her body was slightly more curvy than the other girls of her family. Her eyes were the same color of topaz, and the motherly emotion they held in them was enough to get me to think of my mother. Somehow, she made me feel homesick, and I hadn't even been away from my mother for a while. Her features were perfect, skin pale, as were the rest of the family, and she smiled.

The man was just as pale and perfect as the rest of them. He had blonde hair that was just a few shades lighter than mine and the same topaz eyes that came along with the rest of his family. He had an air of kindness that just radiated off of him. I found it so overwhelming that I almost had to take in gulps of air. It was strange, the way his emotions were effecting me. The way _everyone's _emotions effected me these days. But I returned the smile he gave me, trying not to look awkward or feel as nervous as I was.

"Jasper," Bella said into my ear, "this is Carlisle and Esme Cullen."

"Er…" I fumbled for my words like an idiot, before I jutted out my hand the way my mama raised me, "Nice to meet y'all. I'm Jasper Whitlock."

Esme laughed, and the sound was light and airy in my ears, but not condescending. Instead of taking my hand, she came forward slowly, and wrapped her arms around me lightly, "Pleasure to meet you."

Her motherly nature, coupled with the kindness radiating from Carlisle like he was a lighthouse beacon, were almost too much. But I persevered. She parted from me, and when I expected Carlisle to give me a handshake as well, he gave me a hearty hug, different from Esme's kind and motherly one.

Hugging vampires…who knew?

"Welcome to the family, Jasper."

I was shocked for a moment that he would consider me a part of his family already. I mean, I had only been with Bella for a short time, I supposed, but still…it made my heart do a funny little dance in my chest.

_Family?_

It was more of a welcome than I'd ever imagined.

* * *

_**End Chapter Twenty Five.**_

_There's that! He's officially been introduced to the entire Cullen family. Hopefully everyone enjoyed this chapter. I liked writing it. I would love to hear your opinions on this chapter. I tried to make this longer, but it didn't really work, since someone had asked if I would make longer chapters. I'm not a real huge fan of super long chapters. Right now, this is the tenth page. So…I dunno. I just write, and when I reach a spot that seems appropriate to stop at, and if I have gotten at least nine or more pages done, then it's where I end the chapter. I'm sorry if anyone wants longer chapters - this is just how I work, I suppose. _

_Anyway, sorry for that long author's note. Haha._

_Thanks for reading! _


	27. A Vampire's Pastime

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Twilight!_

_Here's the next chapter. I had originally started it earlier, but I had hit a wall kind of. Plus, college has started and I have more important things to pay attention to. I'm bogged down with classes and whatnot, so that's why my updates haven't been really prompt. But here's the next one. Hope y'all like it. _

* * *

**Long Road to Ruin  
****Chapter Twenty Six: A Vampire's Pastime**

* * *

**Jasper.**

Surprisingly, meeting Bella's parents wasn't nearly as stressful as I thought it'd be.

It was actually kind of nice, albeit slightly weird, since I couldn't even tell my own mother the realities of our relationship, but her parents were in on it to the fullest extent. The whole thing was almost like keeping a huge secret from my mother - and everyone else in the world, of course.

Esme reminded me so much of my own mother - kind and caring and strangely compassionate about my relationship with her daughter, even though I had only just met Esme herself.

Carlisle was also someone that I found myself liking instantly. He was naturally calm and collected, an obvious centerpiece for the family. Since he was technically the creator of all of them - except Alice, of course - he was a common factor in all of their lives, and they all loved him. The adoration was obvious, and almost too much for me to bear without longing for my own father, the one I had lost when I was just a child.

After a few moments of introductions, Alice announced with a bit of gleeful happiness, "The storm is about to hit."

Here it was again - the mentioning of a storm. I wondered why the weather was so important to them, apart from the one glaring, sparkling reason I knew already.

"I think it'll be something you particularly like." Edward answered my internal question, once again reaping the benefits of his gifts.

"Really, now?" I asked, looking over to him with a quirked brow. Okay, his statement didn't really help. Now I was even more confused than before.

"You'll see." Alice said with an all-knowing smirk. I just stared at her in awe as Bella laughed at my expression. The mood was light with them, a complete contrast to last night, when it was so dark I thought I'd be lost in it forever or something equally overdramatic.

I just let out a sigh. When they didn't want me to know something, they usually didn't tell me unless I decided to pry into it too much. For this, though, I didn't feel the need. This whole thing seemed to be some kind of fun thing, something they enjoyed rather than something that was potentially deadly.

The short, pixie-like vampire turned to look out the window, and she smiled, "In about an hour, we should be ready to go."

"Bella, why don't you show Jasper around the house?" Esme said kindly, looking at the brunette with every ounce of motherly love in her body. The sight itself made me want to run home and hug my mother, even though she wasn't there. Right, she had a conference. That was probably for the best, because she wasn't at the house. If she wasn't at the house, then she wasn't a target for my current stalker and creeper-extraordinaire, Victoria.

"Sure." Bella smiled at me and grasped my hand, taking me up the winding staircase to the second floor. I looked in awe at the massiveness of the house. It took me by surprise, but then again, it shouldn't have.

She walked me down the hall, and we looked around. She showed me various art pieces from centuries ago. Originals, and very expensive, apparently. All the while her hand stayed firmly in my grip, icy fingers wrapped around my warmer digits. Soon, we stopped at the last door on the hall, and she paused, "Er…my room."

I looked at her before smiling, "Ah, really?"

"Y-Yes." She seemed embarrassed by the prospect, and I could only wonder why. I wasn't a mind reader like Edward. But, then again, that wouldn't have helped with her. Bella had something peculiar about her mind that didn't even allow _Edward _in. She reached out and opened the door, twisting her bone white fingers around the silver knob, and letting us both in.

"Wow…" I muttered as I took in the sight. It was a big, spacious room. One whole side of the wall was nothing but a sheer glass window, like half the house was. The other half of the room was decked out with tons and tons of books, in a shelf that was embedded into the wall. I couldn't even read all the titles and authors. Some of them weren't even in English. There was no bed - why would there be? Bella didn't sleep, after all - but there was a large, leather sofa aligned against the glass wall. On the far end of the room, there was a stereo, and several CDs stacked around and on top of it. A ceiling fan whirred lazily above us, though I was sure she didn't need it.

"I assume you like to read." I said, a smile in my voice, as I walked over to the massive wall of books. It looked almost like a library.

"Well, we need something to do, I suppose." She said, and her voice was right beside me. I turned and saw her face looking up at the titles, "Immortality can get to be stagnant after a while."

I looked down at her, and saw an ancient sadness in her features, but somehow it was directed to me. Again, I could only wonder at her thoughts. But, my own train of thought trailed off when I saw a rather familiar book. I reached up and plucked it from the shelf, a wide grin on my face, "_Dracula_?"

Bella could sense my good mood, and it immediately dispelled her own strange melancholy, "It's funny to see how wrong he was about us."

"Well, I know I would've never guessed that you _sparkle_." I replied, nudging her stone arm with my elbow.

Bella laughed at that, and the sound was like a symphony of bells in my ears.

"Bella, Jasper! Am I interrupting anything?" Alice said from the doorway. I started - I hadn't even heard her.

"N-No!" Bella said, and there was that strange look on her face. The kind of look where she should be blushing, but was unable to.

_Oh, now I get it. _I smirked to myself. She was nervous that I wanted _that _from her. Yeah, like that had even crossed my mind when I had a psychotic vampire after me and my mother. But…now that she was worried about that, I found myself slightly uncomfortable, thinking about…

"Not at all." I said, feigning incredulity. I didn't want Bella to be stressed out about that particular subject, not when we had bigger fish to fry.

Alice smiled and walked forward, Edward on her heels. "It's going to start in three…two…one…"

A loud rumbling of thunder shook the house.

Blinking, gathering myself, I looked over at Alice. So, yeah, they told me she had future-telling powers and whatnot, but still, it was amazing to me to see them in action like this. I turned to Bella, and her face was excited and lively. "What's so important about thunder?"

Suddenly, Emmett was in the doorframe, looking excited, "Is it time?"

The black haired vampire turned and grinned, "Yes!"

Emmett was practically vibrating with excitement. I couldn't help but smile at the big lug as he tried to contain himself. Still, I was confused. "Let's go then!" He shot forward, and suddenly, I was underneath his arm like a football. "I got the human!"

"Em-Emmett! What the hell?" Bella shouted, shocked, but clearly trying to hide a laugh.

"What? Someone has to carry him!" Emmett grinned, and I could feel his body shake against my ribs when he laughed. He then focused his words down toward me and said, "Get ready for something _amazing_."

I looked up at him, a question forming on my tongue, but then…we were moving.

I had never moved that fast in my life. It was as if everything around us was one big, white blur, until we got outside, where the blurs turned into meshes of green and brown and the blue-black of the sky. I felt like my head was spinning, my eyes wanted to latch onto something, but everything was too muddled together to do so. I felt my head getting dizzy, and my fingers found their way to wind into the cloth of Emmett's loose t-shirt.

The sound of Emmett's laughter was like the theme music to this strange and terrifying experience. It felt like we would hit a tree or something, but he expertly dodged them as he ran down the path to wherever we were going. We entered an even thicker mass of trees, I figured because the green became even closer to us. I wanted to shut my eyes, desperately, but I didn't. However, my grip on his shirt only tightened.

Then, as soon as it happened, we stopped.

Emmett stood in the center of a large, spacious meadow. The grass was cut short, unlike the other various meadows I'd been subjected to, and I noticed that he was standing on a mound of dirt in the middle of it all. The bulky vampire chuckled when he looked down at me, and I realized I still had a death grip on his shirt. I pried my fingers from the fabric and he set me down, while saying, "We have arrived at your destination."

I wobbled slightly on my feet, my eyes trying to adjust to the surroundings. I still felt like we were flying through the woods.

Emmett was still chuckling, and I was in my own world, when everyone else arrived.

"That - was - awesome!" I said between breaths. It felt like I had been the one running instead of the one "riding." I felt the exhilaration I always got when I was faced with something new and exciting, even though my stomach felt like it had yet to become completely settled.

Bella was by my side, looking slightly confused and amused all at the same time. Her hand reached up and ran through my windblown hair. "Well, if you thought that was _awesome_, then wait till you see what happens next."

I looked down at her perfect features before staring off at what the other vampires were doing. They were spaced out around the field, marking something or other. I wasn't sure what they were doing, exactly, but Emmett cleared it up with a song.

"Take me out to the ball game, take me out to the crowd!" He boomed, and Rosalie gave him a quick smack on his shoulder to shut him up.

Blinking, I looked at Bella, "Baseball?"

"The American pastime." She grinned at me.

I watched the rest of her family place the bases in position, but it looked like they were extremely far apart. Well, they'd have to be, considering their speed. Anything else would've been too easy. The mound of dirt we were standing on? Pitcher's mound. But the need for thunder was still a mystery for me.

Soon, everything was ready, and I felt the urge to play myself. I hadn't played baseball since last year with the school, and I knew I was rusty, and what better chance to get a move on the new season than playing with _immortals_?

Edward was snickering, "No."

I turned toward him, "What?"

"Just watch, and you'll see why it's pretty much impossible for you to play effectively."

"Hey! I'm not _that _bad!"

Esme put a hand on my shoulder. "Just watch, sweetheart." She smiled gently, "I'm usually the umpire. Keeps them honest."

I smiled over at her as the other vampires split into teams. "They cheat?"

"Like Tiger Woods." Esme said cheekily, smiling at me. I laughed at her joke, not expecting her to ever make one like that - well, everyone was full of surprises, I supposed.

Carlisle suddenly appeared by Esme's side, his hand on her shoulder as his lips pressed gently against her cheek. "We're not that uncontrollable, are we?"

Esme looked at her husband with a smile, "Sure. You just keep thinking that."

I sighed, feeling kind of left out, but that feeling was soon replaced by a budding swell of excitement. I couldn't wait to see what these vampires were talking about. If they were so good, they why not play at school? It seemed to make perfect sense to me. I pursed my lips and crossed my arms as Esme put her hand on the small of my back and lead me to home plate.

Esme smiled in a motherly way at me, and turned me so that I was facing the field. I looked over at her and saw that she was watching her family with so much pure, unadulterated love that it actually started to make my chest hurt.

"It's funny, how things happen, you know?" She started, and I cocked my head to the side. As if sensing my puzzlement, she continued, "I had lost my child, and…threw myself off a cliff. I was so full of despair that I didn't think I could continue. Then, Carlisle found me in the morgue. Surprisingly, I hadn't died. He saved me, gave me this life. And…I ended up finding everything I had ever wanted. A family. People who love and care for each other."

She turned towards me, her face lighting up in a smile, "Like I said, it's funny, how things happen, right?"

I shakily returned her smile. I couldn't believe this woman had been through so much. Then again, I couldn't believe most of the stories that the Cullens had gone through. Most of them were filled with pain and suffering, and yet everyone here seemed to have a pretty good outlook. "Yeah…I suppose so."

I looked out into the field, and saw that everyone had split into teams. Bella, Alice, and Rosalie on one team, and then Edward, Emmett, and Carlisle on the other.

"Battle of the sexes." Esme said lightheartedly.

I laughed at that, watching as Rosalie trash talked with Edward. It was a very interesting scene, and I couldn't help but grin.

I watched as each of the family members moved to a position. Alice stood on the pitcher's mound, ball in hand. I noticed that none of the family wore gloves. I guessed they weren't needed - what with their vampiric strength and all. Bella took the outfield, and Rosalie lingered near the bases. Edward, Carlisle, and Emmett were soon by our sides. Emmett got to the plate, bat in his hands.

"Alright, let's get this game started!" Esme shouted, clear like a bell. And as soon as the syllables left her mouth, I watched as Alice made several barely indecipherable movements before the ball was launched from her tiny little hand.

I couldn't even follow the ball. I had no clue what was going on until I heard a deafening crack that sounded a lot like the very thunder we had heard before. I looked over to the plate and saw the bat clanging down to the ground, and my eyes immediately shot up to try to find where Emmett was running.

I could only lock onto his form for a few seconds, and that was because I was really concentrating. I was able to mutter, "Home run…" in a shocked tone as I watched the ball soar and soar, way out of reach.

"Ah, ah," Esme's voice came from beside me. "Emmett hits the hardest, but Bella is one of the fastest in our family."

I looked over to see Bella chasing down the ball, before jumping up higher than the treetops and catching the ball in her bare hand. I could hear her tinkling laughter across the field, and I felt myself smiling along with her. She landed gracefully, not making so much as a sound in the open space, and tossed the ball back to Alice.

"Out!" Esme called, loud and clear, raising a hand to indicate.

I couldn't really form a coherent thought, my mouth was gaping open like I was some kind of dead fish. The shocking world of vampires seemed to have no limits when it came to amazing poor, mere humans. I watched as Emmett sulked off to the side, arms crossed, before yelling, "Baby sister, you better watch out!"

"Oh, I'm so scared, you big lug!" I saw Bella stick out her pink tongue impishly in response, and I laughed.

Carlisle was up next, and he hit the ball so hard that I thought my eardrums popped from the force of it. He ended up scoring for the boys' team, and I felt my shoulders shaking from laughter at the girl's incredulous expressions.

"That's my husband!" Esme crooned lovingly as Carlisle did a victory lap.

"Hey, you're supposed to be on our side, Esme!" Alice called, pouting.

Esme looked down at me and winked. I laughed at the sight of it, and she ran a hand through her honey brown locks.

"Don't worry," Rosalie shouted back, "we'll get you next time!"

I smiled at Rosalie. Out of all the Cullens, she was the one that I'd had the least interaction with, and she seemed like a nice enough person, albeit a little cold. She hadn't done anything towards me to seem like she detested my presence, but I felt like she wasn't too happy with Bella's relationship with me. But, then again, maybe I was just being paranoid.

I smiled to myself as I watched the Cullens play together like a family in every sense of the word. A bystander with no prior knowledge of their situation would have thought that it was the most natural thing in the world - despite the supernatural running and strength going on.

The Cullens moved together seamlessly, fluidly. Playing this game was almost like a choreographed dance, each person playing a vital part in it. It was something that was a pleasure to watch, and I found that I just couldn't take my eyes away from it all.

They never got tired, they never broke a sweat, they never did anything that I didn't consider amazing.

I was truly in awe of this spectacle.

I wasn't sure about the score or who was winning or who was losing. I just was concentrating on what was going on, the fact that everyone seemed to be having such a great time together, without the usual drama that came with my life nowadays.

There was no place for anything like that here. No place for Victoria, or her terrifying schemes, or anything of the sort. This was just a place for fun times and happiness. I felt like this was the only thing…the only moment in time was now. There was nothing else except me, and the remarkable people that were the Cullens.

I watched as the girls' team got the last out and they switched positions. Emmett was the one pitching now, Edward took the outfield, and Carlisle stayed between the bases. Rosalie walked up to bat first, while Bella came and stood beside me.

I heard the deafening crack of the ball against the bat and she was gone, only a flash of golden hair and white flesh. I shook my head, impressed. "It's a pity that none of you play sports at school."

"Well, we _would _stand out quite a bit." Bella said, her face morphing into a grin.

"What even constitutes a strike?"

"If we don't hit it."

"Of course." I said, ego blown. Turns out that Edward had been completely right about me not being able to keep up at all if I had even tried to play. However, despite this knowledge, I was still itching to do something, even if it would embarrass the hell out of myself.

Rosalie trotted back to us - she had been caught out by Edward, who was apparently a shark in the outfield. Alice was up to bat, and hit it straight and level, through everyone's hands and into the forest beyond us. She made a light, leaping circle around the bases, and then scored for us.

Then, Bella was up to bat. She gave me a little wink before she picked up the bat from the ground and faced Emmett, a glint in her eyes. She took the position at the plate and let out a large breath, swinging the bat loosely in her hands. Emmett's arm shot out and the ball flew toward her. She gave a little grunt and the bat connected with the white blur. It was sent like shooting star through the air, passing Edward and flying into the woods. Bella was off, rounding the bases with a graceful expertise. She stopped at third base because Edward had just came back with the ball, and looked at her with an expectant expression, as if daring her to do something.

"Let's go, Rose! Hit me home!" She shouted cheerfully, one foot on the bag and the other edging precariously outward.

The blonde vampire smirked in return, and walked to the plate.

I found myself chuckling at the situation, looking at Bella with an expression that I wasn't even sure I was capable of. I felt a surge of adoration go through me that was so powerful I almost fell over.

Esme's hand was on my shoulder, "She's something, isn't she?"

"Yeah." I breathed.

"I'm so glad you found each other."

I felt my smile turn sheepish, but I answered, "Me too."

I watched as Rosalie hit the ball, and it flew far and out over the outstretched hands of Edward. Bella made it home, as well as Rosalie. They slapped each other high fives and I could practically feel the sisterly relationship between them.

"Maybe one day you could play with us."

I looked at Esme, who was smiling at me like I was one of her sons. I felt the love radiating off of her, and it was enough to almost knock me off of my feet.

Then I realized what that simple sentence meant.

Suddenly, I had a flash of me - perfect, immortal, strong - racing around the bases, as Esme called the game. Bella and I would be on opposite teams, and we would trash talk, just as Edward and Rosalie did before. I would be apart of this strange little hodge podge of a family. As a vampire.

I was stunned by how much that vision appealed to me.

By how much I wanted it.

It was as if I was looking for an answer all this time, and now it smacked me in the face. I knew that I had wanted to be with Bella for as long as possible, and the fact that I could be turned into a vampire as well had only occurred to me in passing.

But now, I wanted that so ferociously that I was willing to walk over hot coals. I wanted to be with Bella forever, and I was just a vampire's bite away from having that.

The selfishness of my thoughts also stunned me.

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair, hoping that Edward hadn't heard all of that, though I knew he would have, even though he was halfway across the field.

I watched as Bella trotted back toward us, and I gave her a smile. My heart was racing in my chest after the direction my thoughts had taken.

Yes.

Maybe, just _maybe_, one day I would be able to play with them.

As equals.

* * *

_**End Chapter Twenty Six. **_

_And, there you have it! It's been about a month since I updated, so I hope that everyone will forgive me for that. I've been in college for the past couple of weeks, and it really has been kicking my butt. It's just I haven't really had time for fanfics, and plus I've kinda had writer's block lately. Coupled with all of the work I've had in college. Yeah. So please understand. If I don't update for a while, it's because of school. Thanks for your caring reviews and messages, but that's the reason, and I really would like it if everyone would understand that._

_Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review! _


	28. The Hallowed Eve

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Twilight._

_And, after a long wait, here is the latest chapter of Long Road to Ruin. I hope that everyone enjoys this little update of mine. I am grateful for all the reviews and PMs encouraging me to get going and all that jazz. I haven't really been into Twilight lately, but yeah. So many other fandoms have taken my attention. But, if I do dare say this, I plan on finishing this fic before I have to go back to college in the fall. I have a lot of the events planned, and things are really going to start to kick up soon, let me tell you. Haha, anyway, I hope you enjoy!_

* * *

**Long Road to Ruin  
****Chapter Twenty Seven: The Hallowed Eve**

* * *

**Jasper.**

My favorite holiday would have to be Halloween.

I guess it's appropriate now that I am officially dating a vampire. But I digress. I've loved

the holiday since I was a child, since I was just a young boy deciding what to wear on the annual night of mischief and candy.

Now, well…uh, yeah. I don't think there's anything I can put into words about this particular situation. All I can tell you is that it has nothing to do with the former memories of my days of Halloween. Of the innocent and childlike times when nothing was better than eating candy and being dressed like Batman or Dracula (Bella had an enormous fit of laughter when she found those pictures) and pulling pranks on other people.

It seems that the older people get, the more things from childhood get distorted into something completely different. Like Valentine's Day, one day for children to give their "girlfriend/boyfriend" the best chocolates and things out of pure innocence, usually gets turned into a day for power play. Men usually get their girls the best things so they are most likely to get lucky that night. Because isn't that what it all leads up to? Sex?

Halloween is another prime example of that.

I remember back when children dressed as things as pure as a full-bodied, fuzzy, hooded bunny costume… Apparently, when you hit a certain age, those costumes become "immature" and that's when people to resort to…well, _this_.

I leaned against the counter, my red plastic cup filled with the wonderfully non-alcoholic Dr Pepper, and watched the people around me. I'm not naturally much of a party person, but when Alice revealed that she was having a party in celebration of Halloween, and everyone was required to come - well, at least _I _was - I had to oblige, or she'd threatened me in not-so-subtle terms. Nothing of particular interest had happened yet, except for the fact that Jessica, Angela, and everyone else seemed to be in awe of the Cullen abode.

I couldn't blame them - the Cullen house was something that seemed utterly out of place in the town of Forks. Almost like finding a crown jewel in the dumpster.

The party was…interesting. I don't think there was another word that could do it justice. Mike and Lauren were completely shitfaced, while Jessica remained terrifyingly tipsy. And Jessica tipsy equals no-inhibitions Jessica. And that equals a very scared Jasper.

I still wasn't sure where Bella had gone off to, and she had left a while ago…and Jessica kept trying to…er…

"Ja'per," she slurred. I gaped at her as she waddled her way over to me, towering precariously in her heels. I never understood how girls managed to wear those without killing themselves. But that wasn't the only questionable thing about her right now.

Jessica was dressed in the typical attire of a teenage Halloween costume. Something that I knew Jessica's mother would never have let her out of the house in. She wore a very skimpy bunny suit, very unlike the one I mentioned before. It looked like something Hugh Hefner's girlfriend would have in her closet. The ears that perched on the headband she wore were slightly askew, and there was a tear in her stocking.

"You look hot…" she said, and I downed the rest of my Dr Pepper like it was something much stronger.

"Er…thanks?" I wanted nothing more than to get out of there, to flee and never return, but that wouldn't look good to flee from my own girlfriend's house. Yeah… in short, I was screwed.

I supposed I looked decent enough - not hot like Jessica seemed keen on pointing out, though. I opted for a pirate costume, compete with headband and eye patch. My white button down shirt was half open, and the pants I wore were loose and brown, topped off by some tough black boots. I looked enough the part, but not as much as Jessica did.

Lauren then decided to stumble over, hand in hand with Tyler. She wore one of those 'sexy devil' costumes. Yeah, you know the one.

"F'ck hurr, Ja'per. She's, like, totally h-a-t!"

I felt the snickers erupting from my chest as Tyler restrained her, "Hot? H-_o_-t, honey."

"Sure, sure, that's what I…meant." Lauren then got a look that almost made me sick, her whole body heaved the contents of her stomach onto the shoes of Tyler's Freddy costume.

"Eh, tough break, man," I told him, holding my hand over my face to keep myself from laughing even harder at the look of utter horror on his face. Looks like Halloween was regaining its frightening nature in the form of Lauren's barf. I shuddered at my own thought and turned to walk back to the snack bar. I wormed my way through the throngs of bodies, and finally arrived at the table with various snacks adorning its surface. It seemed funny to me that vampires had such an array of food when they didn't eat any of it.

I set my cup on the table and refilled it with the dark soda. I grabbed a plat and started filling it with random bits of food - candy bars, chips and dip, barbequed sausages straight from the crock pot, and small sandwiches provided by Esme. She was a damn good cook, despite not having to cook her own food for ages, and I snacked on one of the sandwiches before I turned around to find a couch to sit on until Bella came back.

"Ja - " A hiccup. " - per!"

Uh oh. Face to face with the monster, "Yes, Jessica?"

"Lessss go-o somewhere pri-vate," she chimed. I froze and backed up into the table, almost knocking it over in the process.

_Edward! Edward, if you can here me, for the love of GOD make Bella hurry up!_

* * *

**Bella. **

"Alice, is this really necessary?"

The small pixie vampire looked at me with large, golden eyes, and I could tell that I'd said something completely stupid. Or something that she didn't like. Really, the two were one and the same, "Of _course _it's necessary, dear Bella!"

It had taken a while, but Alice had finally managed to get me into this infernal costume. I couldn't feel the itchy fabric of the flowing sleeves, but I was sure that if I had been human, that would have been the case. The dress part of it was short enough to make me uncomfortable, that is, it came to above my knees. The boots stopped at my calves, though, and that was some coverage, at least. She had fastened a bandana over my head, which waved down my shoulders and back. I had a small plastic sword strapped into the leather belt of the tight skirt and golden bracelets jangled around each of my wrists. She had fastened a necklace of the same gold around my neck. A jewel the size of a golf ball was fastened to it, hanging just at the hollow of my throat.

"Why is it necessary to look like a slut at Halloween?"

Rosalie appraised me from the corner, her eyes smiling at me, "A cute slut, at least."

I felt as if I should be blushing, and I looked down at my shoes, shiny and inky black.

"I agree with Rose!" Alice shouted firmly, "Be proud, Bella!"

"Because I look like a-a…_cute slut_? Isn't that kind of a contradiction?"

She turned me around so she could get a good view of my backside in the long, rectangular mirror in front of me. She and Rose had locked me up in the bathroom ever since the guests started arriving. As soon as I'd said my greetings to Jasper, she whisked me away so she could play Barbie Bella, one of her favorite games. Except this was Barbie Bella: Slut Edition. I shrieked as Alice gave me a light, playful slap on the buttocks.

"You'd think we were trying to take her virtue." Rosalie commented airily, looking at her nails. Her hair was teased and blown out, and she wore a skin tight, one piece suit that ended in heeled boots. A pair of cat ears were perch atop her head, and a tail extended from the costume and hung limply from the end of the chair she sat in.

Alice grinned at me, and I averted my eyes, "Jasper will totally want to jump your bones when he sees you in this."

"But…but I don't want _that_!" I exclaimed, shocked.

Alice hummed to herself as she fixed the hem of her own costume - Alice in Wonderland. She had discarded the wig that came with the costume when she bought it, saying that it looked 'too cheesy,' so her own locks were pinned down in an elegant manner with clips that had small pearls embedded in them. The skirt cam up to above her knees, and the front was cut low. She still looked adorable, though, not anything like the slut I did, or the vixen that was Rosalie.

I looked over to the blonde, for some kind of help, but she only smirked at me, looking every bit like the cat she was dressed up as.

There was a knock at the door, "Bella?"

"Edward, love, we're almost done!" I stared in horror at Alice as she turned around, mascara in hand.

"We're done, Edward!" I darted to the door and flung it open, breaking the lock in the process. "What is it?"

"Your Jasper is in trouble. With that girl…Jessica, I believe. He basically shouted in his thoughts to get me to get you. He's incapable of moving anywhere. It's…quite funny." A small smile twisted his mouth, and I glared at him.

"What's she trying to do?"

"Rape him, I believe he said."

I stiffened as the snickers of Rosalie and Alice met my ears. Edward joined them soon after and it was all I could do not to fling myself at them and start a small war.

Not bothering with anything else, I ran past Edward and down the stairs, careful not to go too fast in case anyone had the misfortune of being in my way. That was the last thing I needed. I went down the second flight and to the bottom floor, where the party was in full effect. Bodies were mashed together, people were making out, the music was blaring, and Jasper…

Jasper, my dear Jasper, was being molested.

"Uh, um," I could hear his desperate pleas for help, "Jess, you know I have a girlfriend…"

I started marching over there, trying to keep up my human charade as best as possible, but sometimes it's just so hard when your mate is out there, being hit on by some floozy who can't hold her liquor.

"I do believe it's best if you listen to him, Jessica." I chime. So suddenly, I was at his side, stroking his cheek as if I'd always been there. Jessica looked at me with large eyes, and I could smell the amount of alcohol tainting her blood. Disgusting. I was shocked for a moment at my vicious thoughts toward the girl with the frizzy brown hair, but I suppose it's only natural for one to be protective of one's mate.

_Mate._ I could never get tired of hearing that word in regards to Jasper.

Jasper looked at me, grateful.

"Ar, get yer hands off me booty," I joked, in character, towards Jessica, as if to lighten the mood. Jasper immediately started cracking up, using his hand to stifle his laughter, which was melodic and almost unearthly.

"I…wasn't touchin' yer ass." Jessica replied. Ah, the subtleties that are missed when intoxicated.

Jasper only laughed louder at that, and Jessica, seeing her chances at hooking him thwarted, left.

I turned to him, and he ran a hand through his hair, making his pirate hat fall in the process. I caught it before it hit the ground and stuffed it back onto his mop of wavy blonde hair. Jasper adjusted it slightly before fully looking at me, taking in my outfit. His eyes flickered in recognition and he grinned that lovely, all-encompassing grin that made my undead heart soar.

"So tough when faced with a lunatic vampire, but when a drunk teenager comes at you, she might as well be Ted Bundy." I chided.

Jasper looked at me, almost shocked by my good mood, before he laughed, "I learn new things about you every day."

"Same goes to you, tiger."

He smiled at me, his eyes softening at my appearance, "Loving the costume."

"Eh, Alice thought we'd look cute if we matched."

"You look…" Jasper's eyes seemed to drink me in, and it gave me a tingling feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"Like a slut." I finished for him.

He blushed, and I grinned at him. It was amazing how much lighter I felt when around him.

"N-No, I wasn't going to say that, Bella…"

"I was joking," I replied, "but Alice was going for the 'cute slut' angle, apparently. I was unaware until she was done."

"You definitely look cute…more like…_hot_, actually." Jasper said, looking at me from underneath long lashes. He was blushing as he said this, and I felt a giggle leave my lips.

"Not used to handing out compliments, are you?"

"Not really…great with it, actually. Not with girls I care about."

"Why?" I was curious.

Jasper shrugged as he moved us away from the wall where we were standing and toward the refreshments, "I guess I've just never been a fan of the term 'hot.' Especially when it's so…crude. Especially when it doesn't do justice to you."

I opened and closed my mouth for a few seconds, trying to figure out something to say. However, I found nothing. I could hardly even think. It was strange that a human boy's words were able to render me speechless. Though, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. I often got flustered when people complimented me, but with him, it was as if I couldn't even remember my own name.

He loomed in front of my face, his lips so close to mine, and smiled cheekily, "Sorry."

I coughed a bit, as if to rid the plug from my throat so I could speak, "You're evil. Pure evil."

"Coming from the vampire," Jasper joked. I pushed his shoulder lightly, feigning offense at his words.

"You haven't even seen evil yet, Whitlock."

Jasper's face twisted into a smile, and his thick drawl wrapped around his next words, "I'm sure, Miss Swan."

I was shocked at the fact that he used my given last name, and not the Cullen moniker that I had adopted as a vampire. This touched me, for some reason. I had almost forgotten that was really who I was. Originally just a girl, Isabella Swan, turned into an invincible creature bearing the last name of Cullen. After years and years, I'd almost forgotten who I was. His words made all of that come crashing back, and the feeling itself wasn't unpleasant. It was almost like he made me human again, for that brief second.

I cleared my head of those thoughts, focusing instead on the moment. Despite all of the people partying around us, this felt completely intimate.

Jasper leaned forward and pressed his warm lips against my cold ones. I returned the kiss with vigor, somehow spurred on by the completely innocent use of my given name. I reached up and wrapped my arms around his neck, twisting my hands so they could tangle in his untamed blonde locks. He groaned at that, moving his arms to bring me forward, resting on my hips and pulling me lightly forward so I rested against his chest.

"See, I told you that costume would make Jasper want to get in your knickers."

We jolted apart, Jasper looking flustered while I was doubly embarrassed. I turned accusingly towards Alice, gaping at her, "Alice!"

The black haired vampire shrugged her tiny shoulders and danced around us, Edward's hand clutched with her own.

"Good job, man." Edward clapped Jasper on his back and I was him restrain his wince.

I glared at them both, hoping that maybe my powers as a shield would somehow go on the offensive.

They floated off, leaving us somewhat alone again - if you didn't count the many partying teenagers around us. The moment was ruined, however, so I just grasped Jasper's hand in mine and followed my family to the backyard.

I slung open the sliding glass door to see Rosalie and Emmett sitting happily in the swing on the patio, gazing at each other lovingly. I smiled at them, and watched as Edward took a seat in one of the chairs, pulling Alice down to sit on his lap.

I stared at Jasper. He was completely enraptured with the sky, bright and brilliant and clear. The stars above us were brilliant points of light, even visible under the vast covering of trees. His eyes were alight like a small child's, brown and luminous in the moonlight. A smile tugged at his lips, and I couldn't help but stare at him.

Suddenly, a full blown grin creased his features, and he jutted a loosely closed fist into the sky, finger pointing out at something. "Look!"

Of course, we were all ahead of his spoken word, having heard the air move as he had stirred the air in front of him. All of our eyes focused on the faint movement, quick and lovely and brilliant in the darkness. A shooting star.

"Wow…I don't think I've ever seen one of those before," he commented, his voice breathless with awe. Jasper looked gloriously happy.

I heard Rosalie start to snicker, "Simpleton."

Jasper only grinned wider.

How natural this all felt. It was strange, the normalcy that someone like Jasper had brought to my life. He was the most precious thing in my existence, and I couldn't imagine him being taken away from me. The most selfish thought crossed my mind - turning him. I had thought extensively on this, weighing pros and cons.

I shook my head. Moments like this shouldn't be muddled with thoughts of serious intentions.

The six of us ended up spending the entire party out on the patio, gazing up at the stars. Edward pointed out constellations while Alice called him a know it all. Emmett cracked some dirty Halloween jokes, while Rosalie interjected with some of her own. I cracked a dirty limerick or two, and Jasper was shocked for a moment, but then interjected with his own.

It was…fun. Natural. Easy as breathing.

I should know better than anyone else that all fun things have to end.

I rode in Jasper's car on the way home. We held hands the entire way, and it was really easy to forget that we were practically two different species. I rubbed my thumb across the back of his hand soothingly as Jasper kept the car at a slow pace.

We pulled up at his house and got out. I took care to not be seen by his mother. I didn't think she'd want to see her son's girlfriend dressed in a slutty parody of a pirate. I kept out of sight of the windows, but I was able to get a glimpse of Mrs. Whitlock in the window, washing some dishes. I looked down and saw a messily carved jack-o-lantern on the doorstep, glowing dimly.

"Nice." I pointed, smiling at the pumpkin. Jasper laughed quietly as to not disturb his mother.

He moved closer to me and leaned over, brushing his lips lightly against mine. I returned the light kiss, and smiled against his mouth. We pulled away after a bit, not wanting to get carried away, and stared at each other.

Jasper stepped forward, opening the door and whispering to me, "See you later?"

I knew what he meant. Of course I wouldn't leave him. Not with the current threat looming over us. Even with the party, I couldn't help but think that. "Of course. As soon as your mother is asleep."

Jasper looked happy at that, and smiled gently at me. I darted off across the street, so his mother wouldn't see me looming in the doorway, but just as I did, I watched as Jasper bend over, picking up a white envelope. Nothing menacing about it, so I was shocked when Jasper's face turned pale and his hands started to shake.

He opened the envelope, and in it was a usual Halloween card. Typical, considering the day. Jasper deftly opened the card, and immediately, his posture changed. I heard a wounded little gasp escape his lips, and then watched as well heard him crumble up the seemingly inoffensive card before throwing it into the bushes beside his front door.

Jasper then straightened his shoulders and strode into the house as if nothing had happened. I watched him walk over to where his mother was washing dishes and watched as they embraced. I saw him move then, and heard faintly the steps creaking underneath his feet as he walked upstairs to his room. Ah, the miracles of vampire awareness.

But I was curious.

Using my full vampiric speed, I sprinted to Jasper's doorstep. After a few seconds of careful searching, I found the crumbled up card in the bushes and the unharmed envelope, abandoned on his doorstep.

The writing, loopy and disarming on the front of the card, was just his name. I felt a chill go down my spine as I recognized the writing. This must be what had caused Jasper to crumble.

Frantically, I smoothed out the card - vaguely noticing that the picture on the front was a caricature of Dracula - and opened it the best I could. Greedily, hungrily, my eyes took in the text, written so innocuously beneath the printed, contrived greeting on the inside.

_Happy Halloween, my dear Jasper. I'll be seeing you soon._

_Love, V._

* * *

_**End Chapter Twenty Seven.**_

_Whew! Okay, there. I finished another chapter. I hope that everyone enjoyed this. It was meant to be a kind of lighthearted filler that I just couldn't get out of my head, but then everything kind of was ruined by Victoria at the end, obviously. Wow, I forgot how much fun I have writing his fic! Thanks so much!_


	29. Undisclosed Desires

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Twilight._

_Thanks so much for the reviews and sticking with this fic when it wasn't apparent that I'd continue. I have everything more or less planned out now, and I plan on writing like a fiend to get this done. Anyway, thanks so much for reviewing, and please enjoy this new chapter!_

* * *

**Long Road to Ruin  
****Chapter Twenty Eight: Undisclosed Desires**

* * *

**Jasper.**

"When were you going to tell me?"

I jumped at the sound of her tinkling voice, getting tangled in the shirt that I had halfway over my head. I had left the window open for Bella to easily get into my room, so she wouldn't have to go banging on the glass like she usually did, and she had taken full advantage of that. After pulling the shirt down and covering myself, I tried to find her. And boy, did I.

"Tell you wha - " I caught sight of the crumpled piece of paper in her hand before I was able to finish my sentence. I narrowed my eyes.

Bella glared at me, her gold eyes hard and unforgiving. Well, this must be what having a first fight with your girlfriend felt like. I immediately felt like scum.

And then the anger hit me. Not mine, _Bella's_. The strange feeling crashed into me, like I had been running full tilt and then bashed head on into a brick wall. She was pissed, and she wasn't going to let me off of this. Her emotions were around me, tussling in my head with no regard for my own emotional wellbeing.

"How…how could you just crumple this up and throw this away?" Bella said. I heard a low grumbling in her throat - growling, I realized. "This is crucial! This means that Victoria was here, that she was here _again_! Why would you just toss it aside in the bushes!"

I winced at the piercing sound of her voice, angry and sounding like nothing I'd ever heard before. I looked at her pleadingly, hoping that my mother hadn't woken up due to the sound of her fury.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know it would make you so angry…" I assumed this was what a kicked puppy felt like.

Her gaze softened considerably, and she took in my appearance. I could only wonder at what she saw. When I had gotten upstairs, I had walked into the bathroom to splash some cold water on my face. My hands had been shaking and my face was almost as pale as Bella's deathly pallor. I probably looked worse, rather than better.

"No. I'm sorry." Bella said simply, in short and clipped sentences, "I just didn't know why you wouldn't tell us. Didn't know why…"

"Honestly, Bella," I started, gazing at her. She still looked livid, her eyes large and encompassing her lovely face, "I had a moment. I was angry and…and _scared_, to be completely honest. I didn't think of my actions. I know everyone wants to help and get Victoria, but it just seems now that I'm just a bother - "

"You are _not _a _bother_." Bella looked like she would almost choke getting out that sentence. "Don't even _think _that, Jasper Whitlock."

Her fury was terrifying and brilliant. It was always hard to forget just how much she could hurt me. How much control it must take to be around me, being what she was. And in that moment, I had a vision of her killing me. And that vision alone made shivers run up and down my spine.

She must have seen something on my face, because then she deflated almost instantly. I felt the tendrils of anger pull back from around her, almost like they were extensions of herself. The whole room was lighter now, with just the feel of apologies, and again I felt like I was losing my mind. No _normal _person could feel emotions like this so randomly. But then she spoke and I forgot my chain of self-pitying thought, "And am sorry as well. I suppose I have a bit of a temper on me."

I managed a shaky smile at her, "It was with good reason."

Bella shrugged and placed the letter and envelope on my nightstand. I wanted nothing more than to burn it, having the power to destroy her threat, as tiny a victory as it was. An even bigger victory would to have it not effect me, but that was useless. She knew just how to get me. When I was not expecting it. When I had just had a really nice night out with my friends. She had this power over me, and she knew it. She flaunted it.

"Are we okay?"

"Sure."

Bella pursed her full lips at me, and I inhaled deeply. The situation had left as soon as it presented itself. It seemed very stupid to hold anything against her, especially when she and her family were only trying to help me and my damned bad luck.

She walked over to me and pressed her cold hands against my face. I leaned into her, closing my eyes, and she sighed, breathing her unnaturally sweet smelling breath around my face. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Well, you could always let Victoria have me and be over with it." I had said it as a joke, a sick and morbid joke, but I felt Bella's hands tighten ever so slightly on my face. I opened my eyes and was met with the sight of her anger, having risen its ugly head again.

"Don't even joke about those kinds of things - you know I'd never let anything happen to you."

"Even when it inconveniences you?"

"This isn't an inconvenience. It's a _necessity_."

I eyed her strangely, "Necessity?"

"It's a necessity that we get rid of her. For your sake. You are one of us, now, and anyone that threatens any Cullen is fair game."

The ferocity of her words was enough to send even more chills down my spine. I had never heard her talk like this, so intense with her anger that she could barely keep up her human façade.

For a moment, she actually looked like a true vampire.

Again, she must have seen something in my expression, because she lowered her hands and placed them by her sides. "I frighten you."

I shook my head, "No. No, Bella. Not at all. Please don't think that."

"I need to learn to control myself better. I acted like a moody teenager."

I sighed and looked at her, "You don't need to control yourself around me. Just…be yourself."

Bella looked at me for the briefest moment, and that strange look crossed her face, the one where she should have been blushing but wasn't.

Our argument forgotten for the moment, Bella leaned forward and pressed her icy lips to mine.

* * *

The days passed by. Slowly, but surely, they passed. It was strange just how quickly time goes by. That must be what Bella was talking about when she told me about eternity. Days pass like mere hours to her, to the Cullens. And they stay, never changing, immortal sentries in their own world.

Basketball season was just hitting its stride. One of my favorite times of the year. I used the sport to get my mind off of things. Surprisingly, it worked. Every time I hit a shot, I was proud. I didn't think of Victoria. Didn't think of anything having to do with vampires. I completely immersed myself with basketball and schoolwork and Bella. It worked, too - I was moved up to starting position on the team, my grades were A's, and my relationship with Bella flourished.

It would all be perfect…except for the fact that once I was done with the games, once I had no more homework to do, I thought of it. I thought of her. Bella knew this, and yet not even she could find a way to get my mind off of it.

I found myself unable to sleep. Even with Bella by my side and one of the other Cullens outside somewhere, looking for any signs of Victoria, I could not keep myself from worrying myself sick.

Even with Bella tucked neatly by my side, I couldn't find a way to get some rest. Which was quite funny, since everything else should have tired me out by now. I just couldn't seem to catch any Zs. I tried everything - counting sheep, drinking warm milk, and such. None of it worked.

When I eventually dozed off from sheer exhaustion, my dreams were better classified as nightmares.

Most times, I awoke to Bella shaking me. She'd tell me I was screaming in my sleep, tell me that I was groaning and tossing and turning and yelping. It worried her, I could tell. Her immortal features were frequently twisted into a frown when I would yawn, when I would fall asleep during class. She disliked this whole situation almost more than I did, but instead of scolding me and telling me I should get some rest, she just brushed my sweaty hair from my face and gave me a kiss, her cold lips soothing the heated temperature of my skin.

The nightmares arrived even quicker in succession after the latest "gift" from Victoria.

I had just come in from basketball practice, slinging my bag on my bed before stripping myself of my sweaty gym clothes. I was about to climb in the shower until I something caught my eye.

I admit, I had grown someone secure in the fact that I wouldn't be getting anymore gifts from Victoria. She had gone a whole month without leaving one - it was now early December - and, foolishly, I hadn't expected another one. Stupidly optimistic, that's me.

But there it was, sitting on my windowsill. _Inside _the house. A jar, filled with some kind of liquid, sitting as innocently as my beanbag chair in the middle of the room, and yet an air of innate dread filled me as I looked at the thing.

I knew immediately it was something to worry about. It definitely wasn't any of my possessions, and the color of the liquid was…_off_.

I approached the thing, stepping forward, but as soon as I got close enough to wrap my hands around it, Bella's white hands shot forward, gripping it as tightly as she could without shattering it.

I stared at her, incredulous as she had just appeared in front of me, as she stared at the object with barely concealed fury. Her hands were steady, too steady, and that sent a chill through me that I couldn't hope to shake.

"How…"

"_Alice_." she said, as if it was an explanation as well as the calling of a name. Suddenly, the black haired vampire appeared at my doorway, her eyes looking too large in her pale face.

"Bella, I - "

"This is getting out of hand!" Bella shouted, and I was shocked. She had been relatively calm the past few weeks, when Victoria's gifts had seemed to cease, but now…now she was livid. Her nose flared as she dipped lower to sniff the jar in her hands. I stared at her, wondering about her suddenly strange gesture, "Female. 17. Type A."

I stared at her, wondering what she was talking about. Then, it clicked, painfully so, "Is that…"

"Blood." Alice spoke up, confirming my theory.

"Human."

Alice nodded slowly, as if trying to gauge my reaction. I didn't have one. I felt numb all over.

"Is…is…"

"The person could probably live, even after this much blood has been taken. But I doubt Victoria would let her."

Bella scrutinized the jar even more, and said, "There's something inside here."

A million gory possibilities flashed through my head. If Victoria had gotten to the point where she would leave a jar of _human blood_ for me, then I wasn't ruling anything out.

Bella moved over to the bathroom, deftly screwing open the jar lid as she did so. Alice and I silently followed her, watching her movements as she did so. I noticed that Alice had her nose wrinkled in response to the blood, and her eyes held restraint. I didn't know how painful this was for them, couldn't even imagine.

Bella twisted the lid completely off and poured the blood into the sink. I watched as it mingled with the white porcelain, creating some kind of sick contrast. I felt my stomach churn in disgust.

Poured out along with it was a note.

I wondered how the paper itself wasn't a soggy mess, but quickly saw that it was laminated. Well, she certainly was upping her production value in the tools of my demise.

Bella picked up the note from the bottom of the sink and rinsed it off with some water, along with the rest of the blood. I wondered how she had the self control to do that. Must be after years of practice, I surmised.

Her fingers curled around the paper, and she looked as if she was restraining herself from crumbling it, just as I had done the Halloween card so long ago.

"What does it say?" I asked her, feeling as if I would faint. Which would not be a very masculine thing to do, I might add.

Bella glared at the letter for a bit longer before turning to me and choking out the words like they physically hurt her, "Maybe we can share a pint one day."

I stared at her, incredulous.

"That's what it says."

I took the laminated paper from her and read it for myself. Surely enough, that's what Victoria's loopy writing said. Suddenly, I felt sick to my stomach. If it was from the gory display of the blood catching up with me or from the sudden implications of Victoria's latest message, I don't know. But it was lucky that we were in the bathroom, because I lost the contents of my stomach, emptying them into the bowl until I could do nothing more except dry heave.

Bella's cool hands were immediately on my back, cool through the fabric of my shirt. I pulled myself away from the toilet and sat back, staring blankly in front of myself. Her hands pressed against my forehead and cheeks. The relief was instantaneous.

"You have a fever." Bella said matter-of-factly. Did I? I hadn't noticed.

Alice leaned over the both of us, looking sweetly at me with her large eyes, seeming so large and experienced with age beyond her physical years, "You've been through so much. It's no wonder you'd make yourself sick."

"I don't see how…"

Bella gave me a smile, "It's easy to make yourself sick like this, when you're human. There has been a flu going around lately. Maybe the stress has made you more susceptible."

It made no sense, "Sorry."

"Don't apologize for being sick."

"Jasper! Bella's car is in the drive - "

My mother came into my room and stopped when she saw me curled on the bathroom floor. I supposed it would look strange, with two unnaturally beautiful girls hovering over her son, and her son just having heaved the contents of his stomach into the toilet. "Oh, are you okay, honey?"

I laughed sardonically and said, "Sure, Mom. Sure."

I couldn't help but think that it was incredibly lucky that my mom hadn't been at home when Victoria had stormed the place with her morbid surprise.

"Hello, Mrs. Whitlock."

"Hello, Bella. How are you doing? Better than my son looks, I hope."

Bella smiled, immediately turning from hard and stony vampire warrior into the warm and lovely girlfriend my mother was accustomed to. "I'm afraid so."

Introductions followed. My mother, excited to see Alice again as well, smiled and offered her hand, and a very Southern sounding, "Alice, hon, you're freezing. We need to get you warmed up."

Alice laughed at that, and Bella tried to stifle her snickers. Even I felt my mouth turn into a smile, that is, before I bent over the toilet yet again and tried to puke up anything that had managed to escape the earlier onslaught.

"Are you going to be okay? Do I need to help you to the bed?" Mom asked, looking at me with that motherly concern that was typical for every mother.

"I'll be fine, Mom. No problem."

Something about my short sentences must have struck her, because then she sighed and said, "Well, I'll be downstairs cooking supper. If you feel like eating later, I'll be down there. Bella and Alice look like they have everything under control. Feel better, honey." She bent over and ran a hand through my sweaty hair before she left.

"Your mother is so nice." Alice commented after she was out of earshot.

I nodded in agreement.

"We could bring Carlisle over here to see what is wrong with you."

I shook my head that time, "No, no, don't bother him. I'm fine. Just a bit…queasy…after everything."

Bella nodded her head, "Alright. If you say so."

I got up and wobbled over to the bed. I felt Bella's hand on my arm, guiding me, and yet respecting the fact that my manly pride would get wounded if she were to actually carry me. I laughed at the thought.

"I think he's finally lost it." Alice chimed from my side. I flopped on the bed, feeling more tired than I had ever felt in my life.

"No, no, not at all." I smiled at her.

Alice sighed and walked over to the window. She opened it, and looked back at Bella, "I'm watching the exterior tonight. So please, call if something happens."

Bella nodded, and I fell back onto my bed, "Be careful, Alice."

Alice looked at me with barely restrained pity before smiling, "Always."

This is how it was - every day, Bella and the guard of the day would come over, and I'd tell whoever it was to be careful. Guilt followed. Bella would eat supper with us before departing to keep up appearances, and then sneaking back into my room once my mother was sleeping.

Like clockwork.

I didn't notice, however, that I immediately fell asleep. Whatever it was that had caused my sudden sickness had me exhausted. I slept for the first time, that night, without problems, and I woke up to Bella stroking my hair.

"No screaming. You must have slept nicely."

I nodded, noticing that she had my head laying on her lap. I twisted my head to look at her, "Anything happen?"

Bella shook her head, "Nothing."

I was met with a mixture of relief and frustration. The fact that Alice hadn't run into anything was wonderful, but the fact that Victoria still eluded us was something that struck a chord every time I heard it.

I moved from my comfortable position, lifting myself up and stretching. I felt Bella's eyes on me as I did so.

"I have to go get ready for school." I told her, moving to the bathroom.

"Right." Bella said, and she let me go.

I changed into my usual school attire and sighed. I felt a lot better. I was glad that the sickness hadn't lasted more than a night. Glad and somewhat confused about it, but I decided to not linger on the causes of my sudden spell.

Mom had already left for work, so I drove us to school. Bella looked protectively out the window, as if willing our nemesis to show herself. She didn't, and we made it to school in plenty of time.

The whole day seemed utterly boring, which was the case when it got close to Christmas break. All the classes were focusing on helping us get ready for the exams that occurred right before we got out for Christmas. Bella managed to convince me to go by the Cullen abode to see Carlisle about my bout of ill health last night. It took longer than I thought it would have, but I was able to kill time by playing Xbox with Emmett and Edward while Esme fussed over me. Later Alice dragged me over to Edward's closet and gave me some of his old clothes - old to her meant "worn twice."

It was so late when we got back, that my mother already had supper hot and ready. Bella sat with us, and yet she ate nothing. Esme was the one that had came with us, it being her turn to watch that night, and she hit two birds with one stone by meeting my mother. They got along wonderfully, which I was grateful for.

Then my mother dropped the bomb on me.

"So, your aunt and uncle want us over at their place for Christmas this year."

I paused, the fork halfway to my mouth. "What?"

Mom looked at me sympathetically, probably thinking that the throwing up from yesterday had evolved into mental slowness, "We usually go over there for either Thanksgiving or Christmas each year, and since we went for Thanksgiving last year…"

"It's Christmas this year." I finished her sentence for her.

She smiled in a pleased manner, "You remember."

How could I forget? Well, easily, all things considered. Frankly, spending Christmas this year in Texas usually would be amazing, even if you counted in the fact that I had to spend it with my mother's sister, her husband, and their twins. Lovely. But it was the fact that I had to be away from Bella for such a long time that sent a stake through my chest, no pun intended.

I sighed and pushed the rest of my food down my throat, tasting nothing. Great. Just great.

All of the hidden implications of the trip hit me one by one. I had to be away from Forks. Away from Bella, but also away from Victoria. But I was also leaving the Cullens to deal with her without me there. They wouldn't be able to follow us without being exposed by the sunlight. Though that did leave nighttime open, but maybe…maybe I would get lucky and have just a few days with family, undisturbed normalcy. The selfishness of my thoughts stunned me, and I immediately banished them, thinking only of Bella and her family. No doubt I would be worried sick about them the whole time. I almost told mother I wouldn't go, and that she could go by herself - that could protect her, surely - but I was stopped when Bella's hand closed over my own underneath the table.

I looked over at her, and her eyes were hard and thoughtful. Bella had already decided for me.

I was going to Texas, and she wasn't coming with me.

* * *

_**End Chapter Twenty Eight.**_

_There ya go! Just a bit of filler setting things up for the events to come. I hope that everyone enjoyed this chapter. I am really excited about finally getting to the good bits that I had planned for this fic when I first thought of it. Anyway, please review! It would mean a lot!_

_Thanks for reading!_


	30. And It Comes Crashing Down

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Twilight._

_Thanks so much for your kind reviews! I really love hearing from y'all, and I hope that y'all enjoy this chapter as much as the last! I am trying my best to crank all of these out while I have inspiration, so yeah. I hope that everyone likes this chapter! Thanks so much, again!_

* * *

**Long Road to Ruin  
****Chapter Twenty Nine: And It Comes Crashing Down**

* * *

**Jasper.**

School passed rather quickly after that.

I felt like I was in a daze, just going through the motions leading up to what would be the most stressful Christmas of my life. Away from Forks, away from Bella - it seemed like complete and utter torture. I would be away from Victoria, though, and that chilled me. It would, "Leave us alone to find a way to defeat her. She might even be gone when you get back," were Bella's exact words.

I doubted that was true. Not that because I doubted the Cullens, but because Victoria seemed so intelligent and cunning, ruthless and reckless, seemingly untouchable in her wickedness.

Day after day, week after week, until that last week of school before Christmas break. Snow fell regularly, which was a pleasant change from the rain.

After my last exam of the week, I ate lunch with the usual group. The Cullens had been easily integrated into our lunchtime crowd, especially Alice and Emmett with their easy friendliness. Our group looked smaller than usual, and I noticed a few absences, "Uh…what happened to everyone?"

Mike looked at me with a are-you-kidding-me tilt to his head, "Really, Jasper? _Really_?"

I blinked, "What?"

"Well, I guess if your head wasn't stuck up Bella's ass you'd notice what was going on with your friends."

The harshness of his words shocked me, and before I could retaliate, Edward stepped in, surprisingly, "Your jealousy is showing, Newton. Better hide that better."

"Oh, shut up," Mike's words were filled with venom and I could tell that he had been annoyed with me for a while, most likely with good reason at my own selfishness. "If you hadn't noticed, Lauren and Tyler finished their exams a good while ago and left. Angela hasn't been here all day because her last exam was yesterday. And Jessica hasn't been here in a few weeks because of a family emergency. She had to beg the school board to get her a pass."

I pinched my bottom lip between my teeth, waiting for Mike to wear himself out. He did, and I admitted my wrongdoing with all the sincerity I could muster, "Sorry."

"Whatever."

There wasn't much talking after that.

I felt like scum for the rest of the day. I couldn't help but think that my friendship with Mike was even more damaged than before. It wasn't just Jessica's silly crush on me that he was aggravated at anymore, but now at my complete and utter self-centeredness. How…depressing.

I couldn't even rejoice in the fact that I was finished with school for the moment. Not that I had rejoiced in anything for a long while, that is.

I drove to my house in silence. Bella was in the passenger's seat, as per usual, and even she didn't seem keen on talking. She was in a reverie of sorts, and the atmosphere around us told me that I shouldn't try to break into it.

I parked, and Bella and I walked to the house. It seemed almost ridiculously routine by now. I couldn't shake the fact that this could very well change by the time that I got back from my Texas getaway.

Mom called out a greeting for us from her room. She was busy packing. We did leave tomorrow, after all. The sooner we leave, the sooner we get back, she always said. Not to mention the fact that we were driving, as was tradition. It would be a long, grueling ride in the car with my mother, but thank goodness we were taking my car, at least.

I walked up the stairs with Bella following me. She was still silent, alone with her thoughts. I strode in my room, intending on getting my things packed for the trip. I didn't expect it when I heard the door click shut behind me.

I turned around, pondering why she would shut the door. But before I even got any words out, Bella launched herself at me, pressing her lips against mine fervently. I felt the wind get knocked out of me - obviously she had forgotten her own vampiric strength and sturdiness in that one moment, but I recovered quickly and kissed her back. How could I not? I could never deny Bella this. The very simplest of human connection, yet also the most complex.

Her hands tangled in my hair, pulling softly, and I felt her say my name against my lips. I felt the blood pulse fast through my veins, adrenaline flowing through my body like lightning. I wasn't sure what had gotten into her, but she was desperate, her slender fingers moving to feel underneath my shirt, tracing the hard muscles I had gotten from years of sports and being active in my exercise routine. I groaned at the cold touch - gentle, almost unbearably so. She moved us back to the bed, and my mind furiously tried to work out where this would go. It was starting to freak me out, just a tad. Any other guy would be undoing his own pants by now, but I was frozen and startled, feeling like the wuss Mike had pegged me as.

We fell onto the bed, and I winced at the loud sound the springs made, as if my mother would hear the minute sound.

Her kisses were feverish, wanting, lingering. This was more than we'd ever done before. Sure, we had kissed before. But they had been chaste, innocent things, fleeting and magnificent. This, however, was like a bomb had been detonated, and was just waiting to go off.

Her legs were on either side of my waist, and I felt myself groaning into her mouth as my hands made their way down her back to settle on her hips.

I think the sense of my touch was enough to make her realize what she was doing. She suddenly sat up, as if broken out of a trance, and looked at me. "Sorry."

I couldn't find words.

She looked like she was blushing, but no blood rushed to her cheeks. Her hair was messy and tangled, but her lips were pink, as if warmed by my own.

I had never seen anything - anyone - as beautiful as Bella Cullen.

"I'm just going to miss you…so much I can't stand the thought of it."

This was rare. It was now my turn to reassure her, "I'll be back. And everything will work out."

There was a lingering doubt in her eyes even as she twisted her lips into a breathtaking smile that showed teeth and said, "Yes. Yes, it will."

I hoped that was true.

* * *

Bella saw us off, as did the rest of the Cullens. It was strange to my mother, to be so noticed by a pack of supposed teenagers and their youthful parents. But I saw the solid set of Emmett's shoulders, the vacant look in Alice's eyes as she searched for signs of Victoria with her gift, how Edward kept his stance loose, how Rosalie looked feral and unworldly in her ferocity, and how Carlisle and Esme played the role of happy parents to perfection, completely counteracting the warrior stances of their children. Bella, in particular, looked the most ferocious. When she kissed me goodbye, it tasted of her determination.

With all these minute details in my mind, it was hard to set off on our road trip to Texas. I drove for a good ways of the trip, which was great at clearing my mind. I went over the speed limit a few times in my haste to get there and get back, and that was when my mother took over for the rest of the way, sensing my mood.

We listened to music, played car games, laughed at the passersby. It was a fun trip, and somehow I got my mind off of the various things that had been bothering me. It was just me and my mother, going to see the only family we had left. I felt reluctant contentment creep over my body, replacing the anxiety in my muscles with excitement.

A whole lot of driving and a motel later, we arrived at my aunt and uncle's house.

"Jasper! Look at you, hon!"

Aunt Grace stepped forward, taking me in a massive hug. Even though they were sisters by blood, she and my mother couldn't look more different. My mother had light blonde hair, while Aunt Grace had dark brown tresses. However, they both had the same kind, brown eyes.

"Peter and Felix have missed you." I looked up at the sudden voice to see Uncle James staring at me with his intelligent green eyes. He pushed his glasses up his face with a finger before running a hand through his shocking mop of red hair.

"Hey, Uncle James," I said, the twang in my voice apparent against his cool, un-accented baritone. He held out his hand and I shook it.

"I guess I'll go see them, if that's okay."

Aunt Grace looked at me and smiled, "Sure. Of course."

I smiled and grabbed the suitcase I'd brought with me, taking it into the house and leaving my mother to catch up with her sister. I went through the large doors of the rather spacious house. Uncle James was a doctor after all, originally from New York, but after meeting my aunt, he'd moved with her down here, opened his own practice, and the rest was history, as they say.

I walked up the grand staircase, and up to the guest room where I usually stayed on occasions like this. Thanksgiving and Christmas and the like. I plopped my suitcase down on the neatly made bed and then moved to Felix and Peter's room that was just down the hallway a bit.

I knocked on the door before I entered the room. I heard Felix's casual voice call, "Enter!"

I smiled to myself. I really liked my cousins, after all. That was the only thing I really liked about coming down here, well, other than being back in Texas. I really genuinely liked my relatives, which so few people could say.

I opened the door, and saw the destruction of their room. Well, we were related, after all. Messiness must be hereditary. Felix sat on the floor, leaning against the side of his bed as he played a video game. Peter sat on top of the bed, however, and looked to be concentrating very hard. As soon as they saw it was me, they came to attention and dropped their controllers comically at the same time.

"Jasper!" Peter chimed.

"Jazzy boy!" Felix said, in time with his brother's more proper reaction. Ah, twins, they're always entertaining to be around.

"Hey Peter, Felix," I grinned at them, and they immediately rushed over to greet me. They both gave me solid hugs, temporarily forgetting where they were, and then stepped back, looking embarrassed. "It's good to see y'all too."

"Washington still hasn't changed you," Peter said, his drawl melting around every word. I was hit with a sudden flash of homesickness, even if I was in the place that I felt most at home. My home state. I smiled at him.

"I'd let you shoot me if it did." I said, playfully nudging his shoulder.

"You know I'd oblige you." Felix said, grinning toothily at me.

I laughed at that, and Peter finally spoke up. "We have loads of stuff to do. Let's go out to the barn!"

All of my adrenaline thrilled at the word _barn _and what it entailed. Immediately all of my fears were forgotten. It was like I was in another world. A bright, brilliant world without Victoria, where the biggest problem was figuring out what to eat for supper.

We immediately set out for the barn, and I marveled at just how much the two twins had grown. I hadn't seen them in a year, and even though I was only a month older than them, the difference was still shocking. Peter's hair was wavy and brown, untamed around his head, and he had dark brown eyes. Felix's hair was the same color and texture as Peter's but it fell down to his shoulders, whereas Peter's was cropped shorter, and his eyes were the same brown. They were just as tall as me. We looked like a trio of normal teens.

Normal. What a funny little word.

We arrived at the barn, and all of a sudden I heard a whinny.

Yes, that was what I'd been waiting for.

Four magnificent horses rounded the side of the barn, as if sensing our presence immediately.

"Four?" I said in awe.

"Yeah," Felix said with one of his toothy grins, "Dad got tired of always having to ride with Mom."

I snickered at that mental image, "So he got another one?"

"Yep." Peter said, smiling, before he climbed the fence. Felix and I both followed him, until he stopped at a beautiful brown horse with streak of white running from its forehead to nose, "This here is Bella, Dad's pride and joy…or whatever."

I stood there, shocked for a moment and trying to keep my expression neutral before my lips twisted reluctantly into the widest grin imaginable. I shook my head in incredulity, wondering if the universe was trying to make fun of me. The answer was probably yes, of course. Because I was just so much fun to mess with.

"You're laughing?"

"S-Sorry." I snickered as I approached my usual horse of choice, a black one named Dallas. Aunt Grace had a really interesting sense of state pride, naming each one of her horses after a major city in Texas - Dallas, Houston, and Antonio (as in San Antonio). And up until my uncle's strangely named "Bella," that had been the theme. I laughed again as I reached up to stroke Dallas between the eyes.

Felix took Antonio and Peter saddled up Houston. After all the bells and whistles were done, we set off, riding around the large area around the barn. Their house was monstrously large, and had a backyard to match, penned in like a pasture, almost. It helped that they owned acres and acres of land. Uncle James was loaded after all. It immediately made me draw comparison to the other doctor I knew, except Carlisle had centuries of practice under his belt.

It was amazing, the sense of freedom that I felt, riding this horse, feeling the powerful animal's muscles contract as he ran. I felt the wind in my hair, the sun on my back, and knew that I was getting some much needed sun after being underneath the green canopy of Forks for so long.

This…this was what life was supposed to be about.

* * *

With every passing day, I felt the absence of her. I couldn't help it. She had thought contacting me would bring up too much stress for me, and so she didn't. No calls, no texts, nothing. It was enough to make me feel incredibly alone and isolated. No amount of horseback riding could erase the feeling of loneliness she left in her wake. Sure, I had fun the first day, and when I was distracted, those times were wonderful, some of the best memories I have. I wouldn't trade those for the world, all things considered…

It didn't help that my cousins had a horse that carried Bella's name.

Christmas came and went, and with it went my patience. I wanted to get back to Forks, hopefully to find that Bella and the Cullens had successfully captured Victoria and had done away with her. I couldn't help myself from being optimistic. With all the events that had occurred in the span of only a few months, I was surprised I could still even feel that way.

Whatever I unwrapped was instantly received with smiles and good graces. Wouldn't want to displease them, now, would I? I did enjoy everything, though. They knew exactly what I wanted, even my mother happened to guess that I wanted a new baseball glove and various other CDs and DVDs. Which was surprising since I hadn't mentioned anything. Maybe I was just that easy to read.

My homesickness all but came to a head when I was smacked in the face by certain events regarding my cousins.

After Christmas, in fact, on our last day in Texas, Aunt Grace called up to Peter and Felix, mentioning names that were unfamiliar and alien. "Peter, Felix! Charlotte and Jane are here!"

That stopped us from our game of ping pong, played on their new ping pong table, of course. Yeah, they're that rich. Peter's face immediately lit up, while Felix kept his composure quite well, but I could see that he was excited as well.

It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out who the two girls were. They dragged me downstairs to meet who they introduced as their girlfriends.

Charlotte was a tall, leggy thing with soft curves and waves of brown hair. Her deep brown eyes looked at Peter with nothing short of adoration. She was very soft spoken and had a kind disposition, matching up with Peter's laid back attitude perfectly. Their personalities meshed in the best way, I could tell. He could barely keep his eyes off of her.

Jane, however was different. She was shorter, easily the shortest out of all of us, but with a pixie cut to her blonde locks. She had blue eyes that were set with a permanent sardonic amusement, but her outward iciness was detracted when she would focus on Felix, who always grinned in her presence. She had a sharp tongue, always ready with sarcastic reprimands, _especially _for Felix. Unlike Charlotte and Peter's easy camaraderie, their relationship was full of insults and well placed jokes. It was interesting to see the interplay between the four of them.

But that just made me feel Bella's absence even more.

I let out a sigh and tried to shake the image that appeared behind my eyelids - the image of Bella's sweet face, smiling at me, only at me, in one of our rare moments of happiness.

"Hm," I heard Jane mutter, "Do you have a girlfriend? Gianna's been looking for someone actually attractive."

I felt my cheeks color at her comment.

I saw Charlotte wince at the name Jane had offered up. She immediately countered her with, "No, Jane! Gianna's…"

"Yeah, I know. Just a thought. What about Maria?"

"She's worse!"

"I know."

"Uh…I actually have a girlfriend." I told them, even though the word _girlfriend _didn't even seem to cut it. Bella seemed so much more than a mere girlfriend. What word had she used before? Mate, that was it. _Mate._

"Really?" Felix looked happy and shocked at the same time. I hadn't mentioned her since I got here, so I guess his surprise was valid, "What's her name?"

I felt myself grinning as I said, "Bella."

"Like your new horse?" Charlotte said, smiling gently.

Her innocence caused Felix to burst into laughter, and Peter was not far behind. I ended up joining them - it was nice to laugh so freely. That was something that I had enjoyed throughout my whole trip. We relayed the story to the two girls and they seemed interested in Bella, so I told them how we met - not the actual story, because that would make me seem crazy - but I told them what I could, and ended up showing them the picture of her that I kept in my wallet, like a good boyfriend.

"Wow…" Charlotte cooed.

"Damn, Jasper! She's - "

"Felix, watch it or you're going to lose something very important to you."

"Aw, no babe, I don't want to lose you!" Felix played along, grinning.

However, he was stopped dead when Jane retorted, "I wasn't talking about me, I was talking about something much, much lower on your anatomy."

It was clear that the two were joking, however, and it made the whole visit very casual and friendly, even with a newbie like myself.

I was surprisingly sad when I had to leave a few days later. I had grown to like Charlotte and Jane, and Felix and Peter were always fun to be around. It was hard to leave them, but I told them I'd text them more often and we could maybe get together some time other than on the holidays, like during the summer or whatnot.

Even though I was sad, and even though I knew I was walking back into the dangerous trees of Forks, I was still looking forward to going home.

It meant I could see Bella.

"Tell Bella we need to meet her too!"

"Yeah, anyone that can make Jazzy that googly eyed must be something!"

I blushed at that - was it really that obvious?

But I hugged them goodbye. Jane and Charlotte arrived to say goodbye to me and my mother as well, and we departed after hugging each of our relatives, as well as my two new friends.

When Charlotte came to hug me, she said something that was strange, something that caught me off guard, "Be safe."

Sure, the words were just what any well-wisher would say to their friend, but it still shocked me. The reason being that when she said them, it was almost like she _knew _there was something more going on beneath the surface. I must not be as good as keeping a mask up as I thought. Either that, or she was perceptive to an extreme degree. It was enough to remind me of Angela, and I felt homesick all of a sudden.

And that made me even more eager to get home. To see what, if anything, was left.

* * *

We drove.

I drove for a ways, but then Mom took over just like the first time. We chatted about various things, about how much Peter and Felix had grown, about how happy Aunt Grace looked, and how large the house was. I told her how grateful I was for the countless presents I had received, but mostly, the brand new baseball glove she had gotten me. They were all packed away in the back seat and trunk of the car, along with our luggage.

All things considered, I'd had…_fun_.

"But I bet you're ready to see Bella, hon." Mom said, smiling at me with those knowing eyes.

I felt my cheeks color and tried to look away, "Yeah."

I had always had a close relationship with my mother, so usually things like this were easily discussed, but something about discussing Bella with her made me all flustered and embarrassed, as if I was a child again.

"I can tell you make each other really happy," my mother continued.

"Yeah."

She turned back to look at the road, driving carefully and purposefully. Snow was just starting to fall around us, and we passed the sign that said _Welcome to Washington! _in clear, but boring, letters.

I felt my heart jump.

We were on a deserted little road, no one else near us, and my mother's confident driving was somewhat sluggish and slow now that the road was cleared of all other people. Even her face looked relaxed. I took to staring out the window, loving the sight of the green trees covered in the white snow. That was something I'd always liked about Washington, the fun that the snow brought.

"You love that girl, don't you?" Mom asked, and I looked back, seeing that she was staring at me with eyes that were all-knowing, all-seeing.

I chuckled once, but hiding that fact never crossed my mind, "I really do, Ma."

"I'm glad. Be happy with her, Jasper. You deserve it." Mom told me, closing her eyes in an even brighter smile than before. She opened and focused them on my face. I felt an oncoming chill from her words, but I couldn't imagine why.

I looked at her, wondering what she could possibly be thinking, when I saw her eyes drift off to the side of me, widening as if she'd seen something incredible. But then, her mouth opened in a scream that never passed her lips - I didn't have time to look for myself, because suddenly we were rolling.

The car had somehow been overturned, and we were tumbling down the steep hill that broke off from the road. I didn't know what was happening, but I screamed once, loudly, and then opted for smaller screams, closing my eyes tightly as I heard the popping of glass and the groaning engine and bending steel as we continued our descent down, down, down.

I felt the glass cut into my head, a long gash opened above my eye. I felt the pain, the wetness coating my closed eyelid and seeping down my face. My mother's screams never stopped, and I felt myself trying to reach out and grasp her hand, even through all of this.

The whooshing of the car against the snow was cut off as abruptly as it started and was replaced with the screeching of twisted metal.

I opened one eye with great difficulty only to see that the car had somehow stopped upside down, and the backseat on my side had smashed into the side of a tree, just missing my body entirely. I had been lucky I wasn't killed on impact. I closed the eye that wasn't coated with sticky blood and tried to get my bearings.

My mother was frantically screaming my name, and I attempted to make my voice work. I tried to pry my eyes open, but it was a struggle.

"Mom, I'm okay. We need to get out of - "

I opened my eyes just in time to see two white hands snap my mother's neck.

* * *

_**End Chapter Twenty Nine.**_

_Mmkay! And there you have it! There's really not much else to say regarding this, except that I hope you enjoyed it and thanks so much for reading! I'll try to have the next chapter out as soon as possible!_


	31. No Silver Lining

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Twilight._

_Thanks so much for your kind reviews! I really appreciate it. I hope that everyone likes this chapter - it's where it really kicks up a notch, if I use Emeril terms haha. Thanks for sticking with me throughout this, and please enjoy!_

* * *

**Long Road to Ruin  
****Chapter Thirty: No Silver Lining**

* * *

**Jasper.**

I remembered everything.

I remembered the feeling of numbness, of disbelief. I remembered feeling angry and stupid and so, so _naïve_. I remembered hating myself. All in the span of a few seconds. Those few seconds before I was knocked unconscious and taken away from my mother. My mother would no longer talk to me, no longer laugh, no longer tell me funny stories from her workplace. My mother, who was _gone_.

I couldn't make sense of it.

It all seemed so foreign to me, so stupid and petty and _unnecessary_.

I couldn't think.

I couldn't breathe.

I couldn't feel.

I was surprisingly thankful when those same, murderous hands came and gently tapped my temple. Just that touch was enough to knock me out. I wanted to be unconscious, unable to think of anything other than that sweet darkness.

The last thing I wished, wished with all my being, was that Bella was alive, and that she would somehow avenge my mother.

I would hope that she would avenge me, too, because I _knew _Victoria had me.

And I knew that Victoria had no intention of letting me live.

* * *

I woke up.

I was surprised at that, surprised that I wasn't dead.

I should have been surprised that I was tied to a chair in the middle of a barren and dusty room, but I wasn't. This was just typical nightmare-fare, something that I had somehow expected and yet kept at a distance. I had thought this was going to happen, and yet I didn't figure it would.

Oh, how wrong I was.

I took in my surroundings. By the look of it, I was in a small, one room cabin. The windows were boarded shut, so I couldn't gauge exactly where it was. It was cold, and I found myself shivering. Which made sense, vampires didn't get cold, so why advertise their location. I inhaled, only to find that it stung my chest to do so. I must have been more injured in the car crash than I had thought. Either that, or Victoria took some liberties to hurt me while I wasn't awake.

The place was dark, only lit up by a light bulb that swung from the ceiling.

There seemed to be no one in the room except for me.

Then, something moved.

In the shadows of the small cabin, I saw a white figure, illuminated only by the light of the tacky bulb overhead. This figure was smaller than the one I had expected. Victoria was statuesque, however this one was small and petite, younger. Could it be possible that it wasn't Victoria that had gotten to me? How many enemies did I have anyway?

The figure seemed to notice me for once, and turned to face me. It was a small girl with chin length brown hair and a pair of the brightest red eyes I'd ever seen, even compared with Victoria.

"You're awake." she stated as if that were the most obvious thing in the universe. I felt the urge to hit her, but my manners were embedded too deep. Not that I could, anyway, as tied up as I was.

"Yeah," I said simply, curtly. I was surprised that my mouth wasn't gagged - that only meant I was so far away from help that it was useless to scream. Either that, or they just didn't care - they'd massacre anyone that tried to help me anyway.

"Victoria should be here in a little bit. She's dealing with some loose ends."

I glared at this girl, feeling my facial features contract in a grimace, "Loose ends?"

"The woman that was driving." And she said it so casually!

I grit my teeth at her, feeling a very feral growl bubble up in my throat.

The girl gave me a sideways smirk, something that seemed very old and out of place on her youthful features, "Don't worry. She'll get to you just yet."

I ignored her, "And who are you?"

The smirk turned downright sinister, and she said, "The cavalry."

I didn't have time to reply to that, because that was the moment the door was swung open, and…there she was.

It seemed almost anticlimactic, seeing her for the first time in such a long while. She looked so casual, not a hair out of place, no kind of marring to any of her features. Even her eyes were light and free looking. She looked genuinely happy, and that was what chilled me to the bone.

"Oh, he's awake, Bree?" Victoria spoke, her voice just as I remembered it. The girl with the short hair - called Bree, I assumed - nodded, and the red haired vampire continued, "Good. You haven't tampered with him, have you?"

"I followed your orders not to, Victoria."

"Good, good," she cooed, moved over towards me, and appraised me like I was some sort of sick prize, almost like I was a piece of art. A sick and trembling piece of art. "Well, hello, Jasper."

I said nothing.

Victoria waited for a response for a while, I supposed it was a vampire thing, to be able to wait for long periods of time and not care, but then again…she did want to savor this. That much was in her eyes, and in the way that her gifts cut me to the core

"You don't want to talk, do you?" Victoria reached forward slowly, almost seductively, and wrapped her fingers in my hair so softly I barely felt it. Then, she yanked my head back, and I winced, "You'll soon be _begging _for that kind of politeness to return."

I grit my teeth and spat in her face. It was the only thing I could do, as wimpy as it was. And even if I was free of the ropes that bound me to the ratty chair, I couldn't do any damage to her, I knew that much.

Instead of cringing and squealing like a girl, she simply wiped the spit from her face and then wiped her hand over the chest of my shirt, degrading me in that simple action. Victoria grinned at me, friendly and deadly all at once, "Okay."

_Okay? _I thought, still not wanting to talk to this monster. I was going to fight and keep my silence as long as I could. Somehow, I got to thinking if I talked to her, she won. Except that the fact that she even had me here was a testament to her being victorious.

"Riley! Diego! Bring them in."

Those names were new. She had even more accomplices than that Bree chick? I gulped. And what did she mean by _them_? The fact that there was a _them _in this situation was awful. Something that I couldn't even fathom. Why bring anyone else into this that wasn't named Jasper Whitlock? Of course, they had already done that when my mother was…_killed_. It still hurt to think that word, and so I tried to force it away or else the emotions would surface and that would be truly bad, to show that weakness in front of them.

"Riley," I heard the Bree girl gasp in enthusiasm as he entered the room, dragging the limp body of a woman behind him. This Riley character had light blonde hair that was impeccably styled, and chiseled features, his bright red eyes being the most dominant aspect of him. I guessed from the look of it, that Bree had a thing for him.

But that was just a fleeting thought. Riley dragged the woman into the cabin, and I immediately realized who it was. The honey blonde hair, the familiar form; she was wearing the same shirt that she had on during the crash, and it was stained with blood. A gory wound decorated her neck. Riley wasted no time throwing her limp body at my feet.

My mother.

Her eyes were still open, blank and unseeing and glazed over, her head contorted in an odd angle. I felt my chest cave in on itself, the last shreds of my composure slipping as I cried out, "Mom! _Mom_!"

Somehow, futilely, I thought maybe she would respond. Maybe she would wake up. Maybe this was all just a joke. A sick, sick joke, and my mom would get up and decide to make the room more homey…

No, thinking like that was just the beginnings of sounding like a madman.

"Aw, look, how sweet. He's crying." Victoria snidely remarked to Bree and Riley, who started laughing.

Was I?

Yes, surely enough, I felt the liquid rolling down my face. There were no sounds coming from me, only the tears to mark my sorrow. I tried to keep myself from outright sobbing, tried to keep my face a safe mask, but that was easier said than done.

"Diego! Get _in _here!"

It took a while for the last vampire - or, at least I hoped he was the last - to get in the cabin with us. The tears streamed steadily down my cheeks, showing no signs of stopping. I couldn't seem to rid my gaze from my mother's body, but I heard the door open again and the cold breeze whooshed in, reminding me of my circumstances.

I glanced up at this Diego person, only to see that he was vastly different from each of the previous vampires. This immortal had red eyes just like the other three, but they had a kind of sincerity and beaten down nature of someone that had been put through the ringer. Something about him told me that he didn't want to be doing this, though I didn't put much stock in this. Just because he might act like he didn't want to be here didn't mean that he wouldn't screw me over like the rest.

Diego ran a hand through his messy brown hair, kept back in a low ponytail and coming just below his shoulders. He let out something that sounded like a sigh, and placed another familiar person at my feet.

Familiar, painfully so, with her frizzy brown hair and terrified brown eyes. Familiar and…still alive.

Jessica Stanley.

She was tied up, her hands as well as her feet were bound together with rope. I could see various bruises adorning her normally cute face, and her eyes immediately filled with tears when she saw me.

"J-Jasper…" she whispered with trembling lips, and she let out a sob, "Jasper, oh no, are you okay?"

It looked like she had never gotten to see that relative of hers, after all.

I couldn't give her an answer that wouldn't scare her, so I just told her, "We're going to be alright, Jessica."

Then, my eyes caught the bandage around her wrist, making its way up her arm, soaked through with blood. Had they been feeding off of her? I couldn't seem to fit two and two together.

Victoria's voice was light and airy, uncaring, "Jessica helped us send you a little gift, didn't you Jessica?"

Jessica started trembling, babbling incoherently. She was visibly terrified by Victoria, and it wasn't hard to figure out why. She couldn't seem to get words out.

"_Didn't you, Jessica!_" Victoria's harsh shriek made Jessica fall backwards in her shock, tears streaming down her face, rough sobs.

"Y-Yes…_yes_…" she cried pitifully, and I wanted nothing more than to comfort her. All feelings of animosity from before were replaced with nothing but concern, and I felt nervousness for her creep through my body. She'd seen what they'd done to my mother. She knew they were serious.

"What - what did you do to her?" I demanded, sounding more courageous than I felt at the moment.

"You're smart, Jazzy, can't you figure it out?" Victoria said, and within a minute she was beside Jessica, who started weeping and pressing her curvy body into the floorboards. A white hand shot out, grasping her injured arm and tearing the bandages off, revealing a large, jagged scar that crisscrossed her forearm, along the pathway of her veins. "How else would we get the blood to send you?"

The jar of blood. The sick message. It all came rushing back to me, seeming to wake me up like a slap to the face.

"You…you used Jessica to…to…"

"Yes," Victoria said, as if that were the most obvious thing in the world, "and here I thought you were at least halfway intelligent."

"How…"

"We kept her alive for you." Riley spoke up for the first time, as if they had done me a huge favor by prolonging Jessica's suffering. Bree looked at him longingly as Jessica continued to sob inconsolably.

"P-Please, let us go!" Jessica pleaded wetly, sniffling, and grasping onto Riley's pant leg. He looked at her as if she were nothing but trash, and there was a sickening crack as he kicked her leg.

The tortured scream that came from Jessica's lips caused me to struggle against my bonds, wearing my wrists ragged against the ropes that bound me, "Jessica!"

A vision suddenly entered my head, one of when we were smaller, innocent. It was a brief instant, but it made me even more enraged. A six-year-old Jessica flashed before my eyes, her hair longer in her youth, cheeks chubby and dirty as she held out a toy car to me and we played in the sandbox. I felt an anguished cry escape my mouth, "_Jess_!"

The little girl with the toy car shouldn't be screaming like that.

Jessica had started to hyperventilate, her breaths shaky and horrid. It was now that I realized that she was in nothing but shorts and a tanktop…in this weather? I wondered if she had been wearing those when they took her or if they changed her clothes to make this more awful for her. I looked at the leg she was holding, and saw that her knee was rapidly swelling and turning a rather nasty purple color.

"Jess…" I murmured under my breath. I looked around, not believing that vampires could be so cruel. But, then again, I had been spoiled with kind hearted vampires and not the things of nightmares.

There was a difference, but only with one of them. A slight, pitifully hope-inducing sight. Diego was looking at Jessica with barely restrained sadness. He seemed the most civil, the most reasonable, while Riley and Bree were clearly blinded, drunk with power. His white fists were clenched into tight balls at his side.

Victoria laughed, a high and cackling sound, thrilling in Jessica's pain. I could only imagine what they had done to her in the time she had been here. She did look thinner, paler, than when I'd last seen her. There were dark circles underneath her eyes, which seemed to enhance the bruises on the rest of her body.

I didn't notice that Victoria was behind me until she whispered lightly in my ear, though the tone was so harsh I almost flinched, "See what we can do."

I supposed being silent wasn't going to work at all, so I retorted, "I am well aware of what vampires are capable of."

Jessica started at that, broken out of her cries of pain by my voice. She looked shocked that I even knew about this. "Jasper, please they're awful. You have to - "

"Shut her up, Riley." Victoria snapped.

Riley stepped forward and smacked Jessica across the face so hard that she was out like a light the second her head hit the floor. I had a nauseating thought that she had been killed, but I saw her chest rising and falling. I heaved a great sigh out of my body just as I felt Victoria's nails scrape down my back, tearing my shirt in the process.

"It's…surprising how much you seem to care for her, dear Jasper," she told me, and the sound of her voice was predatory. "Does it…_hurt _you to see her in pain?"

I didn't say anything. Didn't want to give her any material to work with. No doubt she'd end up doing something horrible to Jessica in the aftermath of my slip up. So I decided to not slip up and just shut up.

Of course, I remembered that it didn't work so well last time.

My mother's glossy eyes still stared up at me, and I wanted to beg them to at least close them, so she could at least look at peace, and not like a blank-eyed doll of the sickest kind. I couldn't seem to look away once I started to stare at her, and Victoria noticed.

"She had quite a nice taste," she noted, as if commenting on the weather.

I froze.

She must have felt my muscles tense, because her hands immediately were on my shoulders, rubbing gently, which disarmed me.

"Well, you saw it, you should know," the red haired vampire continued in a strangely easy kind of voice when discussing my mother's demise, "Cracking her neck was as easy as opening a coke can. I drank and it was absolutely _divine_." As she cooed the last word, she raked a nail across my cheek, drawing blood. The other three vampires in the room tensed.

"But I do have to say, your blood tastes so much sweeter. Youthful. Just…lovely." Victoria ran a finger down the side of my cheek, and I was taken back to the forest when I had first encountered her face to face. She slipped the tip of her finger into her mouth and sucked the droplet of blood from it. I couldn't see her from where I was, but I knew she was smirking.

"Get on with it, then."

She looked puzzled, "What?"

"If you're going to kill me, then just do it. Kill me, turn me, whatever. I don't care. Just leave Jess out of this."

"Noble. But, sadly, we don't plan on listening to anything you say." Riley spoke up. I could see that he was second in command, obviously, by the way he carried himself, the way he spoke so confidently in the face of the psychotic vampire that he worked for.

"Like dear Riley said," Victoria spoke up. She walked over to face me, her eyes glinting. Looks like I had underestimated her bloodlust. Maybe she'd just lose control and kill me accidentally for my blood. I hoped so. I didn't like the look in her eyes, it spoke of unheard of torture - all of which she planned on inflicting on me. "It's all about you, Jasper. And we plan on making sure you don't ever get past this."

I gulped lightly. I could see nothing but Victoria's icy face, so close to mine that her hair brushed my cheeks, sickening me.

"Scared? You should be." Bree chirped up, obviously trying to get in one the conversation.

I looked past Victoria, or tried to, and she let me surprisingly, and I glared at the new girl, uncaring and condescending in my rage at the situation.

"And what movie did you get that line from, little girl?"

It was quiet for a moment until I felt Bree's rage take shape. It was more intense feeling than any human rage that I had felt, and I almost buckled in my bonds because of it. After a beat, Bree tried to charge me, looking livid that I would dare insult her when I was in such a vulnerable position. Diego stepped in front of her, blocking her path, but his eyes looked blank of emotion. It was almost like being here drained the energy right out of him.

Bree struggled in Diego's arms, clawing at him with desperate, angry fingers. Riley looked at her like he was disgusted at her lack of self control, but then, a sound dispelled the intense atmosphere.

Laughter.

Sounding like the sweetness that came with the sugary taste of bubblegum, laughter filled the cabin, sounding strange and foreign and disturbing.

Of course, Victoria would be the one to find things humorous.

"Ah, he got you there, Bree." Her voice was friendly and teasing and I wanted to scream at her for even pretending to be normal in an atmosphere like this.

Instead, I glared - it was the only thing I was able to do, anyway.

I couldn't think of anything I could do. My head seemed to be in a permanent cloud. I was only a stupid, weak human, unable to even inflict a glancing blow against the immortals. They were stronger, smarter, quicker - they one-upped me in every department. The sense of hopelessness weighed me down, pressing on my chest like so many miles of water, and I just couldn't find the surface.

I wasn't sure what they said, wasn't sure what was going on, but Victoria mentioned something to the other vampires in hushed tones. I had to strain myself to even hear, but I still could catch no words.

"Diego, watch them, will you?" Victoria said, purposefully loud, "I have to go show Riley and Bree our plans."

_Plans? _I thought. Plans for what? I didn't like what that implied.

Suddenly, an image of Bella flashed through my mind. I hadn't thought of her since I'd gotten here, but I had a terrible chill as soon as the vampires, minus Diego, left the cabin.

I had an awful feeling that whatever "plans" they were going over dealt with the Cullens.

I realized, with strange certainty, that I could deal with whatever pain they had in store for me, but when I even thought about them harming those kind people, it made everything unbearable.

As I thought this, I stared at my mother's deceased form, Jessica's unconscious one, and Diego's stony presence like a soldier at the edge of the room. I stared at the cabin walls, at the light bulb overhead, at the floorboards, boarded up windows.

I stared at all of these things and wondered about my life, and the fact that it would likely end in this very cabin.

The thought was a calming one.

* * *

_**End Chapter Thirty.**_

_And there y'all have it! Wow, I can't believe this fic has reached thirty chapters. I am trying my best to crank all of these chapters out as quickly as I can, since I neglected this fic for so long. Anyway, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter and everything. I'm so glad that y'all have stuck with this story._

_Thanks for reading!_


	32. Black Hole Sun

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Twilight._

_Thanks so much for your kind reviews! It's always nice to open up the good ol' email and see that people enjoy my fic. Again, thanks, and I hope y'all enjoy this new chapter! _

* * *

**Long Road to Ruin  
****Chapter Thirty One: Black Hole Sun**

* * *

**Jasper.**

Just after Victoria and the rest left the cabin, Diego's gaze found mine.

It was strange, this look in his eyes. Something that screamed of sorrow and self-hatred. His eyes, ruby red and yet not menacing in the slightest, looked at me and spoke of thousands of horrors. Maybe he had committed some himself. Maybe not. I wasn't sure what to think of this strange glance until Diego was suddenly right beside me.

"Listen to me," he said, his voice hushed in urgency. "They'll be back in a moment, so I only have this time to tell you what's going on."

_What? _I thought in incredulity. I was shocked. Was this some kind of a joke? But the look in his eyes told me otherwise.

"I see that you're skeptical, but trust me, if I was completely with them, I wouldn't be doing this."

"Are you going to let me go?"

"No. Not because I don't want to, but because you wouldn't get far. They'd catch you before you even got a foot away from this place."

I felt a shudder go through my body.

"But I am going to give you something much more valuable. Information." He didn't seem bothered that they might bust in on us. Vampire hearing must be more acute than I gave it credit for. "Victoria has some sick things planned for you. I'm sorry, but it's true. She's going to try everything in her power to mess with you. She's done a right good job with the mental part of it - even now you look like you're going to break. But the physical part is going to be rough. Get through it, because I have a plan."

Oh, another plan? I was beginning to hate the word.

"Victoria has planned an ambush with Riley, Bree, and myself. That's what she turned us for. She's going to stay here and mess with you while we all do her dirty work - or try. She just has us as distractions. She plans for us to be destroyed during the fight. Or so she thinks." Diego's eyes looked positively frantic, darting back and forth in paranoia, "I'm going to notify the Cullens."

I froze, feeling ice water trickle through my veins, and yet a strange fire rose in my chest, "The…Cullens?"

Diego nodded, "Yes. Your mate is a Cullen, correct? The coven with the strange yellow eyes?"

I nodded, thrilled for a brief moment. This was more than I could have asked for. Help from an enemy? I dared myself to hope, but hope was a dangerous beast, and I didn't do it for long.

"I'm going to tell them about this, about everything. From what I hear, they are reasonable. Only attacking if attacked. But I have to wait for Victoria to get back, so I can go out by myself."

I nodded shakily at him, "O-Okay."

Diego gave me a nod before melting back into his place against the wall. Just as he did so, Victoria, Bree, and Riley entered the room, and Jessica gave a moan from beside my feet. I tried my best to still look defeated, though the recent development of Diego's rebellion had me hard-pressed to keep from grinning like a madman.

Victoria immediately had her eyes on me, red and deadly and evil. It was surprising that it wasn't even the color that caught me off guard now, it was the emotions behind it. Diego had the same pair of red eyes, but he was kinder than all three of them combined. It wasn't the color of the eyes, it was the person that made them that way.

"Hopefully you weren't too lonely, dear."

"Not at all, _darlin'_." I spat sarcastically, and a grin moved over her face. Like she enjoyed the fact that I was still trying to fight. Still trying to defy her.

"I'm going to enjoy breaking you."

_You already have. _I thought hollowly, thinking of my mother's last moments, of Jessica's screams of pain. They seemed to be on loop in my head, though there was that small thread of hope that Diego presented me with. Maybe that was a plan of Victoria's? To have Diego give me hope, and then tear that away from me…that would be terrible. The worst kind of torture.

"Victoria," Diego spoke, his cool, deep baritone a buffer to the oncoming torture I saw in Victoria's eyes. She wasn't going to waste any more time. "May I go hunt?"

"Hunt?" Victoria scoffed, "Feed from the girl there."

I saw a look of horror that matched mine flash across Diego's face. Okay, that was something that couldn't be faked. "Shouldn't…shouldn't we keep her alive?"

"No need. We have Jasper, now. We don't need her anymore. She can go be with her parents."

Diego hesitated, looking at Jessica, who had just opened her eyes and was oblivious to the conversation regarding her life. She sat up at that moment, rubbing her eyes tiredly with the back of her hand, as if she had been simply sleeping rather than knocked unconscious. I was still reeling with the revelation that Jessica's parents had been killed when I heard a voice.

Bree spoke up, "Well, if you're not going to…"

She was at Jessica's side in an instant, before the curly haired girl had even time to blink.

Jessica let out a startled scream that was quickly cut off as Bree tore out her throat.

Of course, then there were my screams. Just my screams. Frantic and pleading and needing help, help, help. Someone help her or she'll die. She's dying, someone help her, why isn't anyone helping her? I struggled so hard against my bonds that I felt the skin rub raw at my wrists where my hands were tied to the arms of the chair. I tried to free my ankles that were tied to the front legs of the chair. All the while, I felt some of my sanity slipping, like the bonds that held me refused to do.

I felt tears cloud my vision. My screams became louder and more frantic the quieter that Jessica got.

She stopped moving. I hadn't noticed that Riley had joined in until I saw him pull away from her femoral artery, face red with blood. Jessica was pale, unmoving, lifeless, _dead_. For good measure, Riley reached up and jerked her head to the side, and I heard the loud crack that brought forth images of my mother's last moments. Senseless violence, even after her death.

I couldn't stop the screams that came from my throat.

I still didn't stop, not even when I saw Diego stealthily take his leave out of the door.

* * *

**Bella.**

I was getting worried.

Sure, it wasn't like me to be worried. Alice had no visions about anything happening, _nothing_. It was strange, and it gave me cause to be so worried as to make a trip down to Jasper's house, only to find it empty.

There was nothing else I could do.

So I waited, idle like a gargoyle, staring at the changing weather, the days turning into nights, doing nothing but wishing that he would come back.

Then, as if something hit me in the face, it happened.

"Someone's coming."

I wasn't startled by her presence, heavy despite her small stature, but I looked at her with no amount of knowing that she was there. "Jasper?"

Alice twisted her pretty features into a grimace, "No."

"I'm guessing it's someone we won't like."

"We will get along just fine. But, the things he has to tell us won't sit well with you. Or any of us."

I stared at her long and hard, and she somberly made her way out of my room, motioning for me to follow.

I did without hesitation.

I saw our family gathered in the backyard, and we made our way out in that direction. They all looked expectantly out at the thick mass of woods that surrounded our house, waiting for whoever it was to come through the trees, like I was sure was going to happen.

Alice pointed a small finger in that direction, "He's going to come out there."

So we waited.

It all seemed completely random and silly, us waiting for a visitor that would magically appear at the edge of the woods. The whole event was conjured up in the mere span of a few seconds, when I had been waiting for Jasper for weeks.

We waited for what seemed like minutes, but it was more likely hours. Waited and waited, and with every passing second I grew more restless, pacing and prancing about, destroying several large boulders we had around the property. Emmett joined in, just to have something to do and so we could compete.

Then, it happened.

He appeared on the fringe of the woods, looking frantic and dazed at the same time. His eyes were the tell-tale red of a vampire who liked humans for lunch, and his mass of dark hair was wavy and tangled, pulled back into a low ponytail. He had the same unnatural attractiveness that almost all vampires had, but he could strangely compete with Edward in that department.

And he was running towards us.

We all crouched down, ready to defend ourselves, but then he stopped just a few feet away, as if hesitant.

I heard Edward growl, deep in his chest. He had heard his thoughts already, seen what he was going to say, what had happened that was so terrible. Then, Edward looked at me, his face grim for a moment before staring back at our strange visitor.

I knew it, just from that look Edward gave me. Knew it from the bottom of my feet to the roots of my hair. I just knew it.

Something had happened to Jasper.

The new vampire's name was Diego, and he told us his story, telling us how he was turned and why. Telling us about Victoria, about everything. How she had them help her deliver certain presents and whatnot. That clued us in to how Victoria avoided Alice's sight. Alice had also been focusing on a lot of things, and some of the visions could have been lost in the crossfire. So many mistakes…

He told us what had happened. In painstakingly horrid detail.

I started growling at that point.

I wasn't sure if I trusted Diego, but I figured that he must be trustworthy, having defied Victoria so openly. His face was earnest and kind, and his red eyes were filled with compassion and an openness that was attractive. Edward could sense any kind of deception in his thoughts anyway, so any thought he had towards that would be detected and we would attack.

But Edward saw nothing, and just let Diego continue with his story.

He told us about the ambush they had planned, how they would come to our house and begin to try to tear us apart. Diego told us to meet them on the way, to give us an element of surprise, which was an excellent idea, one that Emmett took to, and we all eventually agreed to. It seemed much smarter. And we weren't going to let Victoria get Jasper so easily. We had to go get him, no matter what.

Because I didn't even want to think of the alternative.

* * *

**Jasper.**

Alone.

That's what I was. Alone.

Sure, I was alone before, but now it really hit me. I had had Jessica at one point, but now she was just a corpse at my feet - _Like my mother, _I thought desolately - and then Diego left. The one ally I had just up and left while I was shouting my head off. My throat still felt raw after that jag of screaming, and yet I still felt like doing just that. I wanted to holler until my throat bled, until I passed out, until I was finished with this awful situation.

Bree and Riley had taken my mother and Jessica outside to "dispose of," I heard Victoria say. But they hadn't come back and it seemed like a long while.

Too long of a time with just Victoria in the room.

"Expecting to see Bree and Riley?"

I didn't say anything, wasn't planning on it, but then I remembered Diego's words. Maybe it would be best to keep talking, "I expected they would come back."

"They're just scouting."

"Ah."

"I told them to get lost, pretty much," she retorted. I twisted my head to look at her. She was perched on an old desk, looking somewhat like a vulture gazing at some dead animal it was planning on devouring. I thought the analogy wasn't too farfetched. Seemed appropriate.

"And why would you do that?" I asked hoarsely.

"Why do you think?" She liquidly moved off of the desk, languidly moving over to stand just a ways in front of me, "I wanted us to have some…_alone_ time."

"You speak as if I actually want alone time."

Victoria's lips curved into a wicked smirk, devoid of all warm emotion. "If you knew what I had in store for you, you'd at least _try _to suck up to me."

I returned her smirk with one of the sardonic variety, but said nothing.

My wrists throbbed, as did my ankles. The scratches on my back and face didn't help at all, and neither did the incessant pain in my torso. I suspected a few ribs were broken from the car crash.

I was preoccupied taking stock of the injuries, so I didn't notice when Victoria approached me, lighter in hand.

"What are you…" I murmured. She started to take my shoe off, for whatever reason, but then I saw her eyes and realized what she was doing. The sock was gone soon after, and the lighter, fiery and suddenly terrifying, was pressed on the top of my foot.

To say the least, I screamed.

I cursed at her. The pain was intense. It made my stomach churn, and I had to fight to keep whatever little food I had in my stomach down. A stream of curse words left my mouth, some I'd never used before in reference to a woman.

She pulled the lighter away from my foot, and I didn't even think to look down at the mess she must have made. I didn't want to see what she had let happen to me. What she had caused. I didn't notice I was trembling until Victoria placed her hand on top of mine to steady it.

Right before she broke it.

Victoria slammed her fist down on top of my hand, and I heard several sharp, staccato cracks. Again, I screamed in pain. I wasn't sure which hurt worse. I wasn't sure what would hurt more in comparison. I didn't want to find out, but I was certain that she was intent on finding out.

I wasn't sure I could still scream, but my smashed hand was all but enough fuel for me to let out sharp, broken shrieks from my mouth. I was surprised my throat wasn't bleeding from all the screaming I'd done in such a short period of time.

I was panting, my vision whirling from all of the sudden pain. So this is what Victoria had in mind when she said she wanted to take revenge on Bella. To make me suffer as much as possible, to get to her.

I was still shaking, my hands trembling, even the broken one. I felt my legs shake and shiver, the veins standing out along the backs of my hands. I strained to get free, but the damned ropes were so tight that it was practically impossible. I couldn't fall over in the chair either - that was bolted to the floor.

Looks like Victoria had thought of everything.

I hissed through my teeth, not wanting to give her the satisfaction of me exclaiming how much it hurt with words. My screams were enough, I thought. I just hoped that no one would decide to be a hero and come investigate. There had been too many deaths already. Two people I cared about were dead, and it was no one's fault but my own. That thought weighed heavily on my mind.

Victoria lowered her face into my field of vision. She looked absolutely _alive_. Her face was bright and luminous in front of mine, her eyes thrilled with the terrible nature of her actions. If she were human, I'd imagine her face would be flushed from excitement, her breathing erratic.

Her fingers traced lightly over my broken hand, and I winced and yelped and saw white stars behind my eyes.

It was all too much - all of it, too quickly, too horrible, too…insane. I couldn't fathom it.

"You think this is bad?" Victoria said lightly, her voice almost like an angel's in that instant. Except an angel couldn't manage to look that sinister. Her fingers twisted around my injured hand as if to make a point, and she _squeezed_.

I kept the scream in that time, surprising myself. I couldn't give her that satisfaction, if I could help it. However, I did bite the inside of my cheek so hard it bled.

Victoria grinned at that and reached up to touch my cheek, "Oh, hurting yourself now, are you?" I was reminded of when Bella did the exact same thing, only her touch was friendlier, loving.

I said nothing, only stared at her.

"You know, keeping quiet isn't going to make things go faster. I'll just keep at it until you break - that's the really rewarding part of all this, after all. Hearing you scream."

A chill ran down my spine.

Her hand moved down my cheek until it rested on my throat like a perfectly normal touch. There was nothing malicious about it, but her feelings were so strong that they almost overpowered me. If I hadn't been tied to the chair, I surely would have fallen over. Even now, I was shaking from the power of these awful emotions.

What was _wrong _with me?

I had known since I met Bella that some of this weird…_talent_ had emerged. I had felt people's emotions, as if they were my own. Something about it wasn't normal. Hell, _everything _about it wasn't normal, and here it was, just as I was facing my darkest hour, and they decided to hit me in the face yet again.

I clenched my good hand around the arm of the chair, trying to keep a central hold on reality. Trying to center my thoughts around something other than my own oddity.

That was when Victoria's other hand chose to wrap around my neck, so softly that I barely noticed.

And then, she started to _crush_ her hands around my throat.

At first it was gentle. I barely felt it. But then, it started to get worse and worse, her hands were constricting the flow of my breathing. I watched as her face changed from nonchalance to wicked pleasure at my writhing body. I started to squirm as much as I could, my mouth gaping for breath as she continued to wring her hands around my throat.

I couldn't cry out, couldn't do anything. Funny, since that was what she wanted me to do.

My breaths were coming out as silly gasps, my mouth open and closing like a fish out of water. I couldn't describe the utter torture that this was, not being able to breathe. It was the worst thing imaginable. Especially when having to gaze into the face of your torturer.

The worst part was, she didn't seem to want to kill me in that instant. Her hands could definitely do that job, but it seemed that she wanted to prolong this moment. She wanted to watch me on the brink of death, and know that she could bring me back.

A power trip.

I tried to spit some words out at her, but it was impossible.

Her fingers tightened around my windpipe so hard that I saw black spots in my vision.

_Please, please let this be the end. _I thought as I shut my eyes.

And then, just as quickly as it happened, it stopped.

Victoria let go of my throat, and I fell forward in the chair, coughing and gasping for air, inhaling the precious life source. My throat burned and ached; I could practically feel the bruises forming, almost like she had left indentations in my throat with her marble hands.

Her cackling caused me to look up at her as I gasped.

"See, now? I'm the one in control. You should be aware of that. _I _decide when you live and when you die. And, frankly, I'm having too much fun to stop so quickly."

I don't know why, but I felt myself start to laugh. The chuckles escaped before I could tell myself to not give her the satisfaction. But I started laughing, and her face contorted into one of rage in an instant.

"As if I didn't know that already."

She growled, having reached her patience level with me, and the last thing I saw was her hand speeding toward my head.

And finally, I was allowed sweet darkness.

* * *

_**End Chapter Thirty One.**_

_Whew! That was a doozy of a chapter to write! I hope that everyone enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. It's always nice to write the scenes you've had in your head for the longest time. Anyway, thanks so much for reading! It means a lot!_


	33. Hunting Grounds

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Twilight._

_Thanks so much for your reviews! I really appreciate it. I hope that everyone likes this chapter. There is more...hard stuff (violence, etc) in this chapter, so if that stuff is too much, skip over it. This is the last chapter with that kind of stuff though, so there ya go. It isn't unneccesary. Just part of the plot and showing how awful Victoria really is - actually backing up her threats with actions and whatnot. Anyway, without further ado, here it is!_

* * *

**Long Road to Ruin  
****Chapter Thirty Two: Hunting Grounds**

* * *

**Bella.**

We ran.

It was thrilling, even though I knew what would happen if we didn't get there in time. I felt the excitement flood my body, almost like my blood was pumping. Almost like my dead heart was beating. That gave me confidence that we would save Jasper from whatever this was, even though I knew it could easily go the other way.

Diego led the way, expertly showing us how to get to wherever it was that they were. He was rather fast, obviously still a newborn due to his strength level.

Even if I tried, I couldn't describe the utter urgency that I felt as we raced to save my mate from utter destruction at someone who held a personal vendetta against us. Hurting one of us would hurt all of us. It was a sick cycle, but one that Victoria had figured out.

Victoria - the name itself caused a growl to come from my chest.

With me, I had Edward, Alice, and Carlisle. Rosalie, Emmett, and Esme were left at the house, in case the enemy vampires decided go through with the plan and ambush us there. They were in for a wicked surprise. Emmett could clearly taken the two on his own, and he had made it adamant that he would not leave Rose.

"There are only two of them, but they are newly created like myself. So it is going to be difficult to overpower them." Diego mentioned coolly, but I could hear the underlying tension in his voice.

Carlisle spoke up, gentle and experienced, "Do not worry. They may be physically stronger, but we are more controlled in our emotions."

I looked at Carlisle and saw the mature planes of his face twist in thought. He was right, and I could only imagine what he was thinking.

"Remember what Emmett said - don't go for the obvious kill." Edward mentioned.

I nodded as we continued our tracing of the vampire's paths.

Suddenly, Diego stopped, causing us all to halt as well. He looked confused, whirling around quicker than the human eye could see. I watched him in rapt fascination as he tried to work out the situation. He must be so overwhelmed. A newborn, unable to quite control himself yet, but when those uncivilized vampires started to feed on poor Jessica Stanley, he was able to pry himself away.

Carlisle began, "Diego, what is -"

Then, Alice and Edward's voices, loud and clear, "Bella, watch out!"

I was on point the moment it happened. I saw the wheeling body of the newborn girl come flying at me, and I managed to dodge what would have been a disastrous attack. She landed on her feet next to me and started growling gutturally.

"Bree," Edward called, looking at the girl that had just made her presence known. She looked startled for a moment, but then collected herself, "You don't have to do any of this."

Bree grinned toothily at him before another vampire launched out of the trees above us. This one was more easily received, Edward actually landing a hit on him. It was a glancing one, but the blonde vampire twisted over to where Bree stood.

"Riley."

"Yeah, you know my name. Victoria let us in on your tricks. The short one can see the future. We know this." Riley said, and then he focused on Diego, who was standing with us, rather than them, and he snarled, "What are you doing, Diego?"

"What you're doing is wrong. I can't be part of it anymore." Diego said simply, and Bree had to hold Riley back from attacking him.

I spat out some of the extra venom that had started pooling in my mouth, ready for the fight that was going to ensue. Sure, Edward was going to try to talk them down, but we didn't have time for it. Jasper's life was in danger, and negotiations weren't going to work on them. Especially not if the look in their eyes was what they truly felt.

They both looked completely brainwashed, mad with power.

Edward seemed to feel this too, but instead Carlisle talked, "Bree, Riley. You both know that we don't need to do this. Victoria has told you many things, but all of them for her own gain. Please, don't - "

"Shut up, old man," Riley snapped.

I felt rage overpower me then, couldn't stand to hear someone talk to Carlisle like that. Edward was ahead of me, saying, "Don't disrespect him like that, _toddler_. His knowledge trumps yours in an infinite amount."

Riley growled at him in response.

"We're not here to talk. We're here to destroy you." Bree said, her haughty voice grating on my nerves, "But I was told that there were more than you three."

I saw Carlisle tense, and I knew he was thinking of Esme, worried despite her capability to take care of herself. It was silent, and that was the confirmation that they had been looking for.

"Alright, then." Riley seemed pleased with this assessment, "We'll take care of them, and then go get the others at the house. Shouldn't be hard."

"You're really more foolish than I had ever thought a vampire could be." Edward said, his voice cold and frigid and frightening.

Riley ignored him, "Just remember what Victoria said - keep the brown haired one alive so she can see what she's done to her mate."

I didn't waste any time. I sprung into action.

Carlisle held me by the wrist for a second, and whispered in low tones, "You should go try to find your way to Jasper. There's only two of them. We all have experience, and Alice and Edward have their gifts, so it shouldn't take long." Even as he spoke, I could hear the pain in his voice. He knew we had no other option. "Take Diego and go find them."

I didn't want to leave. I wanted to stay and fight, but Carlisle's words made sense. The three of them were more than enough to take on the newborns. And every minute we wasted with them would be one more minute Jasper was alone with Victoria and closer to death.

I gulped, nodding, just as I heard Edward pounce on Riley. I heard the tell-tale sound of grinding and screeching that sounded like metal on metal, and I knew it wasn't going well for one of them.

I darted forward, grasping Diego by his wrist. He was stunned, staring out at the beginning of the carnage, and then looked at me, his large red eyes studying me.

"Lead me to Victoria." A beat. "Please."

Diego stared at me for a moment before he began to run, quick and strong in his newborn state.

I followed.

I felt the air swish past me, blowing my hair back. Felt my feet on the ground, not even slipping in the fresh snow. New flakes had begun to fall around us, and it would be picturesque if it weren't for the nasty mission we had to undertake.

Victoria had crossed the line so many times that I wasn't even sure if there was one left.

She had Jasper - she had my mate, and was doing unspeakable things to him. Things that I wasn't sure he could make it out of.

I planned on making her pay dearly for it.

* * *

**Jasper.**

I opened my eyes blearily, surprised that I still had the ability to do so.

Obviously, Victoria had decided to not kill me in my sleep. I didn't know if I felt grateful or disappointed.

The red haired vampire was sitting in a chair across from mine, a look of excitement on her face.

"You're up. I'm glad."

"Wasn't my fault."

Victoria frowned at me, but kept her seat. "Your poor face. I doubt Bella'd recognize you if she saw you again, anyway."

I felt my heart stutter at her name.

Victoria smirked and continued, "You humans are so _funny_. Falling in love with what could be the worst thing to happen to the human race - "

"_Funny_," I mocked, "I don't recall being in love with _you_."

Victoria tensed, and was immediately in my face, quicker than the time it took me to blink. I stared at her, unafraid now, for some reason, and didn't break gaze with her. It was hard to do, when she was looking at me with such pure, unfiltered hatred that I could feel through my bones, but I managed.

"I don't recall you having a death wish."

I didn't say anything, didn't want to anger her further. Maybe the Cullens were on their way now. Maybe I'd have a chance. I just had to keep my mouth shut and not say anything that would get me killed quicker. I'd been behaving very stupidly by jibbing her every chance I got.

"No comeback? Shocking."

I said nothing.

She stared at me for a good while before getting something from where I couldn't see. I wasn't sure what she had in her hands, but I knew it wasn't good.

That was when she poured the freezing water over me.

I yelped, feeling it soak through my clothes, seeming to go into my very bones. The cold temperature of the cabin was intensified as soon as the cold water hit me. I started shivering, my teeth clattering together like castanets.

"I forget that feeling - being cold." Victoria mused as if it was some kind of beauty for me to be freezing my ass off. "You don't feel much when you're a vampire."

"I f-f-figured." I grit out through chattering teeth.

Victoria smirked, "Should I bring out the lighter to warm you up?"

I tensed, and she seemed to find this doubly amusing.

"No, no, I won't do that. I'm not much for repeat offenses."

No, of course not. Just following one offense with one much, much sicker.

"All of this just shows how weak the human condition is…" the red haired vampire continued. Her face was as open as a candle, shining and thrilling at my misfortune. "Too bad she didn't have the sense to turn you."

I glared at her. "I was the one who didn't want it…at least, not right away." I admitted to myself.

Victoria scoffed, sauntering closer to me, "Well, I guess that shows that you are the fool, after all."

I shrugged, letting my eyes slip closed as I did so. "I suppose so."

Sudden pain, sharp and blaring and screaming at my senses. I half-wondered, half-shouted my concerns. "What did you…"

I looked down at where the pain seemed to originate. A knife was buried to the hilt in the flesh of my thigh.

A kind of numbness settled over my body, something told me that I couldn't handle this kind of pain, and my brain shut off for a second. I stared dumbly at the knife in my leg, as if it were someone else's leg and not my own.

I heard Victoria's cackling, and only then did I realize that I had been screaming the entire time. Huh, I didn't think I still had that ability.

"Well, aren't you the _screamer_," she said, and her voice was thick with implications. I found myself struggling against the bonds, desperately wanting to get away from her now more than ever. I was petrified - her tricks had worked. Every time I flexed my leg to try and pull away from the chair, I felt my muscles flex around the blade of the knife, and I had to fight back the urge to vomit.

The water was still working its magic on me. It was awfully cold, so cold that I could see that my fingertips were slowly turning blue. I could only imagine what my face looked like.

Struggling didn't help things, only made them worse.

I was still trying to get away, when Victoria's hand hovered over the hilt of the knife. She slowly drew it out while I watched, mesmerized at her deliberateness. I was astonished just how big the blade was, how much had been buried in my leg. My blood coated the steel, and I felt myself needing to scream.

"Let's make the other one match - " She jammed the knife into my other thigh, and my scream was so loud and ragged that I didn't even recognize it as my own voice. I sounded…inhuman.

I was whimpering, pathetic, hunched forward and staring at the hilt of the knife. I watched as the blood pooled around where it had entered my skin and fell down my leg, spattering on the floor beneath me.

My groans were nothing but filled with pain, with hopelessness, with desperation. I could think of nothing but the searing pain that my body was in. I couldn't remember a time when I wasn't in pain, when I wasn't stabbed and scratched and broken beyond recognition.

Again, when she thought I had enough with staring at the knife, she pulled it out, using the same slow and deliberate nature as the first time. I found myself on the verge of hyperventilating.

The knife was pulled out of my leg, and she looked at it like it was something particularly captivating, with the red smear of my blood being the main attraction for her. Then, as if she were in some kind of sick horror movie, she ran her tongue along the length of the knife, tasting the blood and making a moaning noise.

I felt the muscles in my legs start to spasm. I wasn't sure what she did, but it was effective, whatever it was. This went on for a bit until they finally quieted down. I supposed it was from the shock of it all.

My hands were trembling, even the broken one, and that only caused the pain to shoot through my arm. Great, more pain. That was something I needed.

She brandished the knife in front of my face, looking like she was going to do some serious damage. I shrank back in the chair, wincing as parts of my body strained against the injuries. Pain returned, fresh and new, as the wounds bled and bled and Victoria cackled.

I hadn't realized my eyes were closed under the stress, so I opened them and came face to face with Victoria, grinning in my face.

"Are you done in?"

I didn't answer; I knew that I couldn't answer no without it being a lie. So I said nothing.

The knife was still in her hand, glinting in the dull light. Her teeth were bared in a grin that was the very definition of psychotic. A shiver passed through my body that was either from the bone-chilling cold or her look. It could've been a combination of both, for all I was aware of.

Victoria brought the knife down to my cheek, resting against my temple. I tensed in anticipation.

With a swift motion, she dragged the knife down my cheek, making a large gash on the side of my face. I inhaled sharply through my teeth, opting to do that instead of scream. I felt the blood spill down the side of my face, dripping onto my soaked clothes, staining my skin red.

"You're really lucky that I drank from your mother earlier, otherwise I wouldn't be able to control myself." She ran a finger along the cut; I had to hide the wince I made when her finger made contact with the sore flesh. "It's still rather hard, though, to stop myself. You have some of the…_purest _blood I think I've ever tasted."

I stared at her, wondering if she was going somewhere with this.

The blood coated her finger again, and she smiled before she stuck her finger in her mouth, "I feel like a kid stealing from the cookie jar."

She laughed like that was something completely hilarious. I couldn't even manage a scowl at her. Everything hurt. I was sore, and my injuries seemed to keep going higher in their numbers.

The knife was away from my face, at least. That was something I'd been kind of antsy about. I thought that she was going to gouge my eyes out or something to that effect, but something told me that she wanted to make sure I _saw _everything that happened to me.

She took the knife and just went, for lack of a better word, crazy.

Victoria slashed my chest, back, face. Shallow cuts, though, nothing that would hit an artery or any major vessel. My neck was left virtually unharmed. She ended up going up and down my legs, making cuts almost like tally marks.

I cried out for the most part of it. Each cut was as unpleasant as the last, making me wish for death even more. The knife was so sharp that even the faintest pressure would draw blood, would cut into my skin. I winced and cried out every now and then, but I tried to restrain myself.

The cold air didn't help things. My clothes were soaked through with the frigid water Victoria had poured on me, and I felt my whole body shaking with the cold. It was impossible to warm up, especially when Victoria's cold, sweet breath was clouding around me each time she moved her face to look into my eyes.

I shivered and shook, filled with pain and heartache, unable to find any kind of solace. I don't even think death would be a relief. Something told me that I'd be tortured even then, because obviously I'd done something so awful in my life that I'd deserved this. Certainly, things like this didn't happen to good people…

She chose this moment, when I was in my reverie, to stick the knife in my calf and twist…

I screamed in response, and this seemed to spur her on.

I couldn't find words - there were no words for this. No words at all that could express what I was going through. She made a few more rounds with the knife, making small incisions here and there and pretty much everywhere. I yelped each time, something that caused her to laugh.

I found myself getting so sleepy. The darkness - oh, I wanted that precious darkness. That sweet reprieve from everything I was going through. I wished I could provoke her into striking me again so that I could be unconscious for at least a little while, maybe have a break.

There was so much pain…

I wouldn't have noticed it if it wasn't directly tied to something defying my freedom.

Victoria took the knife and slipped it underneath the ropes that bound my hands to the chair. I tested out my feet only to see that they were free. She must have cut the bonds while I trying to force myself into unconsciousness. I attempted kicking her, but she caught my leg and dug her nails in, aggravating the bloody cuts even further.

My hands were free, and it was a feeling that exhilarated me. Maybe she would let me go. Maybe she would just…

Victoria took the knife and jammed it into the crook of my forearm. I screamed, feeling pain even worse than when she had stabbed my legs. She had gotten me right on the large vein that was in the crease of my elbow. As soon as I thought it couldn't hurt any more, she yanked the knife downward, creating a large, bloody gash that went down my arm to my wrist. Blood flowed to the surface and down my arm.

I must have passed out for at least a few seconds, because I was jerked out of my lovely darkness by Victoria doing the exact same thing to my opposite arm. I screamed louder than I had thought possible and slumped forward, out of the chair and into Victoria's awaiting arms.

She crushed me into her body, carrying me over to the door of the cabin. Wet and cold and bloody, as well as out of my mind, I clung to her as if she would save me.

Victoria held me in one arm as she wrenched open the door of the cabin. I felt the cold blast of air hit my face, sticking my wet shirt to my body. I started shivering almost immediately.

She put me down; I stood on wobbly legs, facing out at the white nothingness that met me, wondering what she had planned next.

The red haired vampire pushed me down - her strength combined with my injured state didn't give me much resistance - growling in excitement all the while.

My body met the snow, and all I knew was cold.

That is, until I felt Victoria's body pressed against my back, her voice whispering in my ear.

"_Run_."

* * *

_**End Chapter Thirty Two.**_

_Whew! Now that was an exhausting chapter to write. But I hope that y'all enjoyed reading it. Or…well, not really "enjoyed," considering the subject matter, but yeah. Anyway, I would love to hear everyone's thoughts and stuff on this chapter, so it would be awesome if ya left a review._

_Thanks for reading!_


	34. Fire and Ice

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Twilight._

_Thanks so much for reading my last update! I appreciate it. It's always nice to know that people are still keeping up with this little story of mine. Things are really at a head now, so yeah. Without further delay, here's chapter thirty three!_

* * *

**Long Road to Ruin  
****Chapter Thirty Three: Fire and Ice**

* * *

**Jasper.**

And who was I to say no?

I had an opportunity to escape, as futile as it might have been, so I took it with fumbling fingers, raising myself up from the cold, thick snow, and launching myself into the woods with a recklessness that surprised me.

I was woozy, wobbling like a newborn deer amongst the snow. Fresh snow had just started to fall, and it pelted me as if to add even more insult to my current situation.

Pain was the only thing I felt. The cold, the bloody cuts, everything… I gasped as I ran, desperately seeking breath, not daring to look back as I ran. I didn't want to see Victoria watching me, because I knew she was. I pushed the thought that she could catch me whenever she wanted to the back of my head. I didn't need any more distractions.

So I ran - or, rather, _stumbled_. I tried my best to put at least some distance between us.

It was difficult, to say the least.

I wasn't sure what was going through my mind at the time. Just that I needed to escape somehow. I needed to find some stupid place to hide where she couldn't find me. Somewhere that I would be safe. The Cullens' house flashed in my mind, but no, I wouldn't bring this on them.

I realized that I was delusional.

Victoria was completely confident in her abilities. She had supernatural powers on her side, and I was just a mere human, tortured and humiliated and out of his mind with desperation. The victor should be an easy choice if we were matched together.

I had no chance.

This didn't stop me from running, however. I felt the pain with every thud of my footsteps, every clumsy action. It was enough to bring tears to my eyes in my desperation, but I kept a strong face. Or what I thought was one. I didn't really want to see what my face looked like, but I approximated what would hopefully be a strong expression…

The blood loss was beginning to creep over me like a fog.

I felt my breath coming out in short, shallow pants. The breath in front of me turned into a mist, and idly, I was still surprised my breath could be hot…the rest of my body felt so incredibly cold.

I didn't realize I was shaking uncontrollably, until I had the misfortune to look at my hands. One, mangled and swollen, the other cut and scarred.

And then I looked at my forearms.

I wished I hadn't.

I only saw a glimpse of what had happened before I had to jerk my head away. The flesh was ragged and torn around long, straight wounds down the pathways of my veins. Blood just kept pouring from them, and I realized with a startling shade of finality that I wasn't long from my death.

My vision kept blurring, my body shivering with the cold. I could barely feel my feet, and only now realized that I was barefoot. I looked down at them to see that they were slowly turning a lovely shade of blue, and that I had a trail of blood following me from where I had started running up until now. Well, looks like hiding wasn't an option. Not that it would've worked, anyhow.

I kept running though, stumbling like a drunken fool through the snow. Every step brought with it unwanted images of death and pain and the unfortunate circumstances I had brought upon myself.

Run, run, run. It felt as if I had been running forever when my feet gave way beneath me.

I fell, face forward in the snow, with a gargled yelp of surprise.

The cold was even more intense here. The snow beneath me felt like a thousand pinpricks when I had hit it, and the falling snow from above didn't do anything to dispel the situation. I turned my head to the side, to at least get half of it out of the snow, and looked at the bloody mess that I was.

The red of my blood mixed with the white snow around me, and suddenly I was reminded of Snow White. Red lips and white skin, except this was completely different. I realized that that train of thought must be brought on by my delusion. I watched as more blood poured out of my arm, and I was surprised that was possible.

I didn't hear her approach me, her footsteps might as well have not even happened as quiet as she was, but suddenly I felt the weight on my back, so familiar to what had happened before. This time she gently jerked my head back, using my hair as a pulley.

Her voice was soothing, and yet chilling at the same time, "I've saved the worst pain for last, you know."

And then she sank her teeth into my neck.

* * *

**Bella.**

Diego seemed to know where he was going - I sure hope he did.

I thought we were on to something the moment I heard the faint stirrings of the snow ahead of us. Something so clumsy and disjointed could only be a human. I felt a pang of hope thrill through me, and propelled myself faster.

Then I smelled the blood.

And lots of it.

The blood struck a familiar chord within me. I had smelled that sweet fragrance before, resisted its pull so many times I had lost count. That blood was so precious to me, so sacred, that I would never spill it.

But someone had.

I raced through the snow, nearly overtaking Diego in my haste. He was startled, but then recovered and we ran side by side for the rest of the way.

We came upon the scene.

My vision, impeccable and detailed, washed over the area. Jasper, _my Jasper_, was sprawled on the ground, blood around him. And then there was Victoria, red hair flowing around her like flames, her mouth fastened onto Jasper's neck. Everything was a contrast of reds and whites, but I could only see the former.

A film of scarlet clouded my vision, and in my rage, I charged.

I don't think she noticed my attack, as consumed with bloodlust as she was, so it was rather easy flinging her from Jasper. My mate let out a small little whimper, and curled over on his side. I could hear the beating of his heart, faint but still there, tethering me to the earth like a lifeline.

I tried to move to comfort him, but then I was tackled to the ground. Unsurprising, since my emotions had clouded every other thing that I should have been paying attention to. All I could think of was _Jasper, Jasper, Jasper._

I felt Victoria's hands scrambling to get hold on my neck, but I twisted out of her grip somehow, and sent a knee to her face. The sound was of two boulders clambering together, and Victoria was sent forcefully back a few feet. She skidded, but dug in with her heels, stopping herself.

I was up on my feet in a flash, just in time to block Victoria's assault. Her punch glided easily into my awaiting palm, but she ripped her fist away before I had time to close my fingers.

I leaped back, twirling in the air, and Victoria ran at me, trying to take advantage of my mid-air state. I landed liquidly and then sent a kick to her chin, knocking her head back. She recovered easily, and then landed a punch to my face. I didn't care enough to dodge it. I probably deserved the pain for my stupidity, anyway.

She sent a punch headed straight for me, and I blocked it with my forearm. Boulders singing was the result of the contact.

"You see?" Victoria said, as she motioned to hit me across the face. I dodged swiftly and her hand hit nothing but air, "See what you've done to Jasper? Your interference in his life has caused this. You're nothing but a nuisance. I hope you feel the pain that I felt when James was ripped away from me. When Laurent was killed. I hope it's - "

She had dropped her guard to monologue, so I took advantage of it by taking hold of her arm, gripping it in a death vise, and twisting. With a screeching squeal, her arm was wrenched from her body. She screamed in fury and anguish, a sound that mimicked the actual severing itself, "I'm really tired of your mouth," I told her in as cold a tone as I could muster.

I threw the arm across the way, and she stood, glowering at me, "How _dare_ you!"

I snickered at her, just as she came at me yet again. She was frantic this time, more crazed in her movements. This also made her more thoughtless.

However, despite her state, she was still a threat, so we continued our strange little dance.

For each kick, I guarded. For each punch, she echoed it. Our fighting was a sick dance, and the loser would face certain death.

I had the upper hand for a while. Dodging with my innate quickness, parrying each blow of hers, and countering with a few of my own.

I had thought that she was almost finished when the screaming started.

It wasn't Victoria's.

Jasper had started screaming in a horrifying pitch. He wasn't dead - in the back of my mind, his heartbeat kept the time like a ticking clock - but the way he was sounding, he was about to be. The very sound chilled me to my core. I was about to turn around when I saw that Victoria was manically charging at me. I jumped over her and was facing her back, then she flipped around, facing me. This way, I could see Jasper, writhing on the ground in pure agony. Diego was beside him, comforting him as well as he could, his hand pressed on Jasper's forehead, cheeks, throat. Anything to quench the fire that was no doubt consuming him.

"I see he's enjoying his dose of venom." Victoria said, grinning at me.

_He'll be turned! _I thought in horror. No, his humanity couldn't be taken like this, in the most brutal way imaginable.

"He wasn't going to survive much longer as a human, anyway," the red head said, sizing me up. We started circling each other like sharks, "I had only intended to drain him, but you interrupted. Your fault, dear Bella."

"Oh, shut the hell up." I growled, and charged her. Now I was the one emotionally compromised. I started punching, kicking, snarling like some rabid dog. She was taken aback, unable to stop any of my movements except for a few. All the while Jasper's screams were the soundtrack to our duel.

The fighting seemed to take longer than I wanted, especially when hearing my mate's pleas for someone to kill him. I winced, hoping against hope that I could somehow reverse the process and restore him his humanity after I had taken care of Victoria.

I had just delivered a blow to her rock hard stomach when I heard the footsteps.

Light, airy, and plentiful, I heard the footfalls approach us. I knew that they belonged to my family, and not the ones that Victoria had sent to destroy us. There were three distinct footfalls, and my thoughts were proven when Victoria looked like she had seen a ghost. I watched her eyes widen in their sockets, red and shocked, and she paused in our fight before launching herself forward to meet Edward.

"Bastard!" she shrieked. It sounded like someone had dragged their nails across a chalkboard. So taken aback by her emotion, so lost in it, she had forgotten that I was there.

I took the opportunity. I chased her. Edward braced himself, though he looked like he knew I was going to get there before she got to him.

I pushed myself as fast as I could go, and I was finally there. My arms wrapped around her neck like steel girders. With one twist and a sickening sound of screeching metal, her head was severed from her shoulders. I felt an extreme amount of relief as her body dropped to the ground. Edward and Alice started to pull her apart even further, and Carlisle started a fire. Admittedly, I relished every sound, knowing she could still feel all of it.

"Get every piece." Carlisle instructed, and it was only then that I noticed the sickeningly sweet smell as well as the purple smoke just a few miles away. Bree and Riley must not have surrendered.

Jasper's screams were still loud in the silence of the forest.

I darted over to him, and knelt down beside him. Diego looked like he wasn't even breathing, which I appreciated. I didn't need another ravenous vampire around. Jasper was writhing, twisting in the snow, looking for a handhold on anything, but his fingers slipped through the icy powder, his attempt lost.

"Carlisle…"

The doctor was by my side at an instant.

"Is there…anything I can do?"

"It would be too dangerous to suck the venom out now. He doesn't have a lot of blood left in his system anyway, and the venom has contaminated most of it." Carlisle said with a few quick sniffs, "You could help the process along. The small amount of venom Victoria gave him might not be enough."

I looked at him quizzically, "So there's no way he can save him…"

Carlisle shook his head, "Not unless you let the change happen."

Jasper screamed loudly at that moment, and his hand clamped down on Diego's thigh. I watched my Jasper, my mate, and knew that the only thing that ever mattered was slipping away, slipping through my immortal fingers. Fate was laughing at me. I looked at Carlisle with a tortured expression, as if seeking his approval, and he nodded, leaning next to me.

For a moment, I stared at the extent of his injuries, surprised that he had made it this far. His forearms were completely mutilated, ripped, ragged. There were a myriad of tiny cuts adorning all of his body, slicing through his clothes. Scratches adorned his face, and even that was bruised as if he had been slapped particularly hard. His hand was mangled and broken, and his feet looked to be showing signs of gangrene. I felt utter sadness overtake me, helplessness.

I took one of Jasper's wrists in my hands and then bit down. Carlisle took the other wrist and did the same.

I made sure that I injected as much venom as I could, and then lapped over the wound with my tongue. I could see Carlisle mimicking my every move. I did the same to Jasper's ankles and wherever I could find a major artery or vein. Jasper's screaming did not cease, but I knew it was working when they started to become louder.

I felt so much déjà vu in that moment - calling me back to the night when I was turned - that it was almost unbearable.

I did the final act, pressing my lips to the unmarred side of Jasper's neck, kissing the area before I sank my teeth into his jugular.

The venom flowed out of me and into Jasper. Hopefully it would be enough to heal him, to save him. He would be one of us, now. The thought didn't excite me like it should have, only saddened me. I wish he would have had a choice in the matter…

I was so selfish that I wouldn't let him part from this world, from me.

I pulled away, surprisingly without difficulty, and stared into his face. The venom of Victoria, Carlisle, and myself was racing through his body, attempting desperately to repair the damage done by the worst of our kind.

I hoped it would be enough.

* * *

**Jasper.**

The bite itself didn't hurt much. It was just a sharp piercing of skin, and then the loose, drugged feeling came. It almost felt _nice_. I actually felt a groan escape my lips as slurps and gulps reached my ears, draining me of whatever blood was left in my body.

I heard a vague shout, and then Victoria was lifted from me, her mouth tearing at my skin as she was removed.

I yelped in shock, rolling over on my back, as if that would help matters. It was so cold, too cold. I kept hearing the strange sound of…what was that, anyway? Thunder? A rockslide? Booming thickly around me, whatever it was. It unnerved me.

"Jasper, _Jasper_."

I knew that voice. "Di…ego?"

I could almost hear the smile in his voice, "Yes. We are here. Bella is fighting with the monster now."

My heart skipped at her name. I was surprised it could still beat, let alone do that, of all things.

There was a sound, like screeching metal, like the breaks of a train coming suddenly to a stop. It caused me to grip my ears, and keep my eyes clenched shut. I ended up opening them, however, out of my greedy side that wanted to see Bella before I died - maybe that was what the strange tingling in my veins was right now.

Diego helped me up, steadying my head so that I could get a glimpse of her.

She looked glorious. I couldn't see her face, for her back was facing me, but I saw her familiar silhouette, brown hair swinging behind her, and everything suddenly seemed right.

Then, the pain hit.

It must not have been meant to be, because a crippling, scream-inducing pain shot through me. It seemed to originate from the bite, and then I remembered the Cullens' stories - Bella, Alice, Emmett… they all flashed through my mind in that instant, and the pain continued to throttle me. I had images of them all writhing like I was at this moment, and somehow that was comforting.

And then, just as I had the intent to grasp on the images of their lovely faces, the pain became so intense that I had to drop back onto the snow.

I wanted to coat myself in it, wanted to bury deep down in the white fluff as if that could quench the pain.

It was like being burned alive.

Fire shot through every vein, filled every pore, my heart pumped the venom around in my body, and I felt it slowly spread as my screams grew louder. I knew nothing but the pain, and the fact that Diego's hand was on my face, cool and comforting, and yet not enough. I kept on screaming, and he kept on saying soothing things to me, like I was a child.

The pain that Victoria put me through was nothing compared to this.

I didn't hear anything, there was only things to be felt. The fire, the burning and all-consuming fire. That was all I could think of, all that encompassed me. Bella could've been defeated by Victoria and I wouldn't know.

A sweet smell, and a cloying smoke made its way to my nose. I wasn't so far gone that I couldn't smell things. It was strange, the whole thing.

Then, Bella's voice, lovely and floating next to my face.

She was confused, scared. I could feel it emanating off of her body, but I didn't dare open my eyes. I didn't think I could. I was burning, burning so hotly that I imagined I was melting a hole in the snow around me, creating a crater that I could take refuge in to escape the pain.

The snow wasn't comforting.

There was the sound of murmured voices, hushed and desperate. I then felt my wrists being taken by two sets of hands, and then a sharp pressure as something sharp sunk through my skin, through the thin membrane of skin that remained on my wrists. I shouted in surprise, and then in pain as yet another wave of heat rushed through me.

There were several other occurrences of this. At my ankles, my thighs, upper arms, and finally at my neck.

This was strange, I had felt two distinct sets of teeth, but this was only one person, one familiar person, at my neck.

Bella.

I knew it was her. I just felt it in the center of my bones, even if they felt like they were liquefying at that very moment.

She pressed her lips to the side of my neck for the smallest of instants, and murmured an apology and more in the briefest amount of words, "_I'm sorry_."

Without further pretense, she sank her teeth into my throat. I felt her tongue lapping over the wound, sealing it up, and it reminded me sickly of a doctor sewing up a victim.

However, I found myself unable to think of such things afterwards.

Because, then, all I knew was fire.

* * *

_**End Chapter Thirty Three.**_

_Whew! There y'all go! Things are heating up…heh, yeah, lame pun. Anyway, I hope that everyone enjoyed this little update. A lot of things happened, so I hoped y'all liked it. I really enjoyed writing it._

_Anyway, thanks so much for reading!_


	35. Creating the Narrative

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Twilight._

_Thanks so much for your kind reviews! I really appreciate all the kind words, and I hope that everyone will like this chapter. Anyway, here's the latest chapter! Please enjoy!_

* * *

**Long Road to Ruin  
****Chapter Thirty Four: Creating the Narrative**

* * *

**Bella.**

The first day of his transformation, all Jasper did was scream.

Screamed for people to kill him, for people to do something about the fire, always for help. It was unbearable to be around, but all that day and night I was with him, never leaving his side. Even going to such measures as placing a wet cloth to his forehead, though I knew that wouldn't help at all.

He quieted down after that, and I was still antsy about leaving his side. I wanted to stay near him during his transformation, no matter what, but Carlisle had to pull me away for a family meeting.

That afternoon, Carlisle had all of us meet in the dining room, where he talked about how things were going to go down. The car was still mangled and in the woods, but we had managed to drag it deeper into the woods than was necessary. No one would come looking.

We had found Mrs. Whitlock's body, drained of blood, outside the wretched cabin. Jessica Stanley and her parents were also found in the same state. We weren't sure what to do, but we quickly came up with a plan.

Carlisle told us that he had managed to get one of the bodies that were donated-to-science from the hospital. He explained that med-students frequently used these for autopsies, and that one wouldn't be missed. The body was male, the same size and weight as Jasper, and had basically the same bone structure. Carlisle didn't seem to excited about the idea - explaining it as "heartless" - but things had to be done, and he knew this. His family's protection was the main priority for him. Something I admired.

He needed all of us for this, so I had to leave Jasper's side. Diego had volunteered to stay with him, and we all trusted him, especially after he had passed Edward's test - being that he read Diego's thoughts and deemed him unthreatening.

We quickly sprinted to the place where the car was, set it up against the tree so it looked natural - not unlike my own faked death - and placed Mrs. Whitlock and the faux-Jasper in their respective seats. We set the car on fire, and had Edward and Emmett stay behind to keep stoking the flames to make sure the bodies were burned appropriately. I had to get away. I just couldn't watch Mrs. Whitlock's kind face enveloped in flames.

We did the same thing with Jessica and her parents. Although there was no car, we placed them in a dumpster and set that on fire to hide any elements of vampirism. If the media was as competent as we gave them credit for, they'd link that to Mrs. Hilburn's death, but then when nothing else similar came forward, the whole 'serial killer' element they would develop will lose leverage and become a cold case.

It was surprisingly easy, and yet hard all at the same time.

Four lives, so easily wiped out - five, if you counted Jasper himself. He would never be the same, not after this. I felt desolate, like something had been taken from me, as well. As if a pinch of the humanity I stored away was ripped away by these killings. I felt more like a vampire than I ever had.

Esme had the job of calling in the wrecked car, smoldering with flames and hiding two charred bodies reduced to skeletons with the temperature of the fire.

Ironic, how Jasper's fake body and real body were doing the same thing, with very different consequences.

Emmett called in the smoking dumpster on the morning of the second day.

Everything seemed to be going in our favor. Then, the wake happened…

It had been planned rather quickly, after all. Jasper and his mother had no relatives other than the ones in Texas, so they had planned the funeral. They had bought the coffins at the small place in Forks, and had gotten a plot in the cemetery where the two had gone to church. They were on the plane that afternoon. It was amazing, the things that people could do when overcome with grief.

Jasper was still burning during all of this.

I was required to go to the wake and the funeral. I had to play the role of depressed and grieving girlfriend, which wasn't a stretch, all things considered.

The wake was short enough. They had it at Jasper's house, of all places. His aunt and uncle set up a kind of shrine to them in the living room. Pictures of Jasper and his mother adorned the house. Candles were lit at every opportunity. People came and went and paid their respects. It was heart wrenching, the whole of it.

His aunt - Grace, if I was correct - looked very much like his mother except for her dark hair. His uncle James had a shocking amount of red hair. Their twin sons obviously inherited their mother's dark coloring. Peter was the one with the short hair, and Felix was the one with the longer, wilder hair. On their sides were two lovely girls - Charlotte and Jane, if I overheard correctly - and those girls looked just as sad as the rest of the actual family members.

I tried to keep to myself, wandering to and fro like a ghost around the house. I tried not to bring too much attention to myself, but there were naturally the people who knew I had been close with Jasper, and they gave their condolences to me.

Naturally, I was approached by Peter and Felix with their girlfriends.

"Bella?"

I looked over to see that it was Peter that had talked, he was holding out his hand to me, a shaky, teary smile on his face. I took his hand, shocked that he knew my name, and looked at him, truly feeling the grief that I showed on my face. After all, this was a truly sad event either way you looked at it.

I ignored the way he seemed to be cringing at the coldness of my hand, and smiled at him. He seemed to be taken aback, and started stumbling over his words, "Uh, I-I'm Peter. And this is Charlotte," he pointed to a pretty brunette, "and this is Felix and Jane." He then pointed to the aforementioned Felix and then the cute pixie-type that was Jane.

"Ah, nice to meet you." I looked each one in the face, and they all seemed to look at me like I was something foreign.

"That picture Jazzy showed us didn't do you justice." Felix tried to crack, but it fell flat. I saw Jane's hand tangle with his just a bit tighter in comfort.

I felt embarrassed at that, so I smiled and said shakily, "Thank you."

"I'm sorry for your loss." Charlotte spoke up. Her eyes were teary, and she looked genuinely upset. "I didn't know him for long, but he definitely made an impact. He is…was…a good person."

Peter wrapped an arm around her shoulders in comfort. Suddenly I ached for Jasper so much it was physically painful.

"Yes." I smiled, and then felt my face crumple on its own accord. I couldn't cry, of course, so that must look suspicious, but I hoped my grief looked real. It felt real. Was real.

We talked for a while, sharing stories about Jasper's life, talking about how his death was completely untimely. I listened intently, wanting to hear as much about Jasper's human life as I could. There were so many things that he hadn't told me. We hadn't known each other that long, once I though about it, so every new story was exciting to me. I listened, probably looking too eager, but with a somber nature.

"You should've seen his face," Felix said, "when he found out the new horse our father bought was named Bella. He looked like he would pass out he was laughing so much."

I felt a smile, a genuinely happy smile, break over my features, and said, "Now there's a coincidence."

I felt bad that I had inadvertently taken Jasper away from these kind people. So bad, in fact, that I had to excuse myself for a moment.

I ended up wandering up the stairs, stopping in the doorway of Jasper's room. I stared in the messy space, looking as if Jasper would still be there, waiting for me. The familiar sight of scattered clothes and ruffled bed sheets greeted me. I walked in the room, smelling _him _all over everything. The scent of him was like a nostalgic slap to the face.

I walked through his room, realizing with a faint sense of shock that this would be the last time I could be here. I trailed my fingers over the most minute things - the bed, the walls, the dresser, even the scratches left by Victoria. That whole situation seemed so far away now.

A flash of Jasper, writhing in agony, entered my head.

Right. That was what he was going through, and that was worse than any sad thought I had.

A flashing item caught my eye. I looked over at the dresser curiously to figure out what exactly it was, and I was greeted with the sight of a bright topaz pendent. It was beautiful, and somehow I knew it was important. The clasp was broken, which would explain why I'd never seen him wear it. That, and the fact that it looked to be meant for a woman. I picked the item up, twirling it idly in my fingers.

"Bella."

I spun around, shifting the necklace into my pocket so fast that Peter didn't see what I had done. "Oh, yes?"

He gave me that same shaky smile from before, "You just disappeared…I can see why you would come to his room, though. Really reeks of him, don't it?"

I smiled gently at him, trying to keep my lips from trembling at the pain in his voice, "Yes."

Felix appeared at the door next, "Oh, she's in here…okay…"

"Yeah," I told them, "no need to worry."

Peter grinned, though his heart wasn't in it, "Right, right."

I inhaled shakily, surprising how something never change, not even with immortality. "Yeah."

I wasn't sure what else happened after that. It was a blur, pretty much. Wakes were like that. I got condolences from people who I had never seen before, but had obviously known Jasper well. Almost like I was a widow. I shuddered at the thought.

It was late when I got back. I arrived to Carlisle and Esme's awaiting arms. They gave me a large hug, as if I had lost something.

Grace and James had ended up planning Jasper's and Mrs. Whitlock's funerals at the same time, on the same day. They had to have it as quickly as possible, so they planned the funeral itself to be the day after the wake. All the Cullens would attend this one, except for Diego. According to Carlisle, Diego was all for following our lifestyle, and would travel with us when the time came to leave. Carlisle would never turn anyone away that was ready to repent.

I made my way up the stairs to the room where Jasper was being kept during his transformation. His screams weren't as loud as they were yesterday, but I kept hearing yelps every now and then.

I entered the room and looked at Diego, who was standing in the corner of the room looking every bit like a statue. His face was drawn in pain that seemed real, but couldn't rival the unholy grimace that Jasper's face was set in. Lying on the bed, he kept twisting and turning, messing up the sheets. The comforter was already on the floor from his movements, and he was working on getting the fitted sheet off of the bed. Pillows were thrown about the room.

"Has he been completely awful?" I asked, almost like a doctor checking in on a patient.

Diego looked at me, his eyes sad and pained, "He's stopped screaming, but it looks like he's holding all of that in. Which is most likely worse."

I shot over to Jasper's bedside, trying to whisper to comfort him, though I knew none of my words would reach him. "You're going to be fine…"

A strangled scream met my efforts, and I clamped a hand over his clawing hand.

Venom works wonders. Those large wounds on his forearms were starting to seal up. The bleeding had stopped completely. Some of the small, superficial cuts were closed already, and those scars had blended in with the color of his skin, which was rapidly paling.

I spent that whole night by his side, tending to him the best I could. There was nothing I could really do, however. Just hold his hand and whisper kind words to him. I had nothing else to give. His transformation was almost complete, and I was a mixture of sorrowful and grateful it was getting that far.

Diego was left with Jasper while all of the Cullens kept up appearances and attended the funeral.

We arrived in two separate vehicles, like we had to for most events, due to their being so many of us in our family. And it seemed that our clan was only growing.

The funeral procession was so somber it hurt to even be there. All of our classmates were there, looking particularly downtrodden that they had to bury two friends back to back. Lauren and Tyler held on to each other like they were their only tether to the earth. Angela and Ben comforted each other. Mike looked particularly sad - I remembered his last encounter with Jasper and figured out why on my own.

Snow fell down around us, doing nothing to effect my coven's status, but everyone else looked completely freezing. For a moment, I thought it was cold enough for me to feel, but that was only a brief flash of foolish reverie.

The preacher spoke something, reciting a few Bible verses, and then following up with a beautiful eulogy that would have had me crying if I was still capable of doing such.

Everyone was crying. For a moment, I was glad that we never stayed in one place for too long, so we wouldn't get this close, this involved. But for a moment, I realized that all these people were here because they loved Jasper. Because they cherished the moments they had with him. Strangely enough, the funeral made everyone seem human, and not just the ones in the caskets.

I found my thoughts drifting to Jasper. To what he was losing at this very instant. He wasn't even aware of all the people that had come here to pay their respects, how much they cared about him. It was enough to make my dead heart throb.

One by one, the mourners walked up to the caskets that were aligned side by side. They placed flowers and various other trinkets on the glossy surface of each one. I caught a few mumbled words here and there, touching things to hear, all things considered.

It came my turn. I walked up there alone. Edward and Alice, Emmett and Rosalie, and Carlisle and Esme had all walked up there in pairs, and I was left to my own devices to deal with this. All of it felt strangely cathartic as I walked up there. I placed a single white lily on the casket of each person, and said a familiar phrase, the very one I mumbled against Jasper's skin right before I delivered my last, life-changing bite.

"I'm sorry."

The snow fell around us, fluttering about the air so pretty and light that it was almost like a morbid snow globe. As everyone cleared out from the funeral area, I looked over to my family.

"It's time." Carlisle said.

And we were off.

I drove as fast as I could, unable to wait getting back to the house where Jasper awaited.

It was the third day.

The last day of his transformation.

My nerves were so excited, so jittery, that I felt like a young teen again. _Felt _rather than _looked_.

I pulled into our overtly large garage, and was out of the car in an instant. The other members of my family were on my heels. I could feel the hours ticking away, like sand in an hourglass - an hourglass that slowly counted down to Jasper's last minutes as a human.

There was only so little time left.

I raced up the stairs to the room where Jasper had been placed. He wasn't writhing as much, but the grimace of pain remained. It was still enough to get me to wince when I walked in the room.

Diego shot up from his position, seated in a chair next to Jasper's bed, "Bella."

I nodded at him, and he returned the gesture.

"Is it time already?"

"Yeah," I said, "the funeral's over, and Jasper's time is almost up. We can't risk him awakening and being seen." I paused for a moment before asking, "Are you still coming with us?"

"If everyone will still have me." Diego gave me a lofty smile.

"Of course we will." Carlisle spoke from behind me. He was so experienced with age that I hadn't even heard him approach, not even with my vampiric senses.

I turned around and stared at the blonde doctor, "What do we do?"

"We're going to run," he replied. "Leave the cars here to keep up appearances - we're going to have to finish the school year at Forks High, you understand."

I nodded. Though I didn't particularly like it, I knew we had to finish out the school year. We all just couldn't leave in the middle of the year, especially after all of the deaths, all of the tragedy. It would make us look suspicious, especially since no one had been caught yet in regards to Jessica, her family, and Mrs. Hilburn.

I looked over at Jasper, who had rolled over on his side in his pain. Carlisle approached him in the most tender way imaginable and scooped him up in his arms as easy as if he were a feather. However, even the slight jostling of his body seemed to cause a whole new wave of pain, and he cried out.

Alice appeared near us, looking so small in the large room, "Diego, just follow us. You won't have a problem. You're a newborn - plus, where we're going is easy to find."

Diego nodded at her, and Alice leapt gracefully out the open window. Edward was close behind, as was Rose, Emmett and then finally Diego. Esme and I waited for Carlisle to go, and then we also departed.

The run helped clear my head. As the scenery changed, I felt a strange sense of finality in my bones. I thought of nothing except the snow under my feet, the trees around me slowly changing type, the loveliness of the scenery around me, the flurries falling from the sky. I felt the wind against my skin, blowing through my hair. I didn't register the cold - I couldn't - so I was completely lost in myself.

I kept close to Carlisle, however. I ran next to him, not wanting to leave Jasper's side even now.

In no time, we crossed the boarder into Alaska.

The town where we arrived was just as I remembered it. Sparsely populated with kind people, houses spread out all over. Quaint. Quiet. _Secluded_.

We headed off from that town, into the fringes of the woods on the outside. A barely noticeable road led up to a great house, large and imposing even in its isolation. The house was a large two story, made of dark wooden panels. The house itself was familiar to me, but I wondered if Jasper, in his newborn state, would take offense and freak out.

We arrived at the front door, unseen by the locals. It was late, after all, and no one was out, not even in the adjacent town. I heard Jasper's panting breaths, pained and rasping, and then the beautiful Tanya was at the door.

Tanya, one of the Denali coven, met us at the door, her lovely face framed by blonde curls, a smile on her lips, "Carlisle."

"Tanya," he said, "you have no idea how much this means to us."

"No problem, old friend," she replied. Smiling, she looked to the bundle in Carlisle's arms, "This him?"

Carlisle nodded, "Yes…do you have a bed or a place where we can put him? His transformation's almost done."

Tanya bobbed her head in reply, stepping out from the doorframe to let us in. I followed Carlisle, who walked in the spacious, warm home.

"Upstairs." Tanya said, "Let's not make it too easy for him to run out the door and massacre the townsfolk."

I shuddered.

I followed Carlisle, walking up the stairs, as I heard Tanya start to greet the rest of my family. We were going to be staying here after our school year was up, and Jasper was going to be a permanent fixture here for a while. Good thing Tanya was so laid back, or she'd end up tiring of us.

Carlisle walked into an empty bedroom, placed Jasper on its taut, neatly made sheets. He was still, surprisingly so.

"His heart rate is increasing rapidly." Carlisle said, "He's in the final stages of the transformation."

As if in response, Jasper groaned lightly.

"Ah."

I looked at Carlisle, wondering what had caught his attention. As if sensing my question, he turned to me and said, "I didn't even realize it was New Years' day."

I felt a smirk cross my lips before it turned into a small smile.

As Jasper grew increasingly still, his features more placid, I smiled at him wryly and said, "Happy New Year, Jasper."

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_**End Chapter Twenty Four.**_

_And there you have it. I hope that y'all enjoyed this chapter. It was kind of filling in some holes and whatnot and getting to the final part of the story. Anyway, I really hope that everyone liked this. I would love to hear your opinions on it. Would mean a lot to me!_

_Thanks for reading!_


	36. Northern Downpour

_**Disclaimer:**__ I don't own Twilight._

_Again, I'd like to say thanks for reading. I really can't thank everyone enough. It means so much to me that everyone likes this fic and is enjoying reading it. There isn't really much else to say other than please enjoy this new chapter just as much as the previous ones! And, without further ado, here it is!_

* * *

**Long Road to Ruin  
****Chapter Thirty Five: Northern Downpour**

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**Jasper.**

I burned.

Burning, burning, burning. It was all I seemed to be capable of. I wasn't even sure what was happening. I didn't have time to contemplate it - all I was aware of was the pain. The mind numbing pain.

I wasn't conscious of anything around me. Nothing else seemed to matter other than the flames that were consuming me.

I couldn't remember what had happened. Couldn't remember anything, not even my own name, as muddled as my mind was with the pain. A myriad of possibilities would race through my mind. I could be dying and it was taking too long, I could be in hell, I could be…could be…

I often lost my thoughts during this time.

The time passed in dull intervals, long and lingering. I was aware I was screaming out, crying for someone to kill me. Certainly I couldn't be dead if I was hurting this badly. Every time I moved in attempt to blot out the flames, a new wave of them threatened to cripple me, incapacitate me in the pain.

There was nothing I could do but endure.

That was what I did - endure, endure, endure. I felt like a rock being battered by the ocean's waves for centuries, only now starting to feel the unholy pain and starting to crack into bits.

Oh, _oh_, what had I done to deserve this?

As the time went on, I was aware of a few things. Sweet words whispered in my ear, calm hands pressed against my own. None of it changed the temperature of my skin, none of it soothed the burning.

I wasn't sure how much time passed, but I knew it passed. I still felt the burning, but towards the end of the experience, I felt it receding. Slowly, so slow that I thought I had hallucinated it, the pain edged back from my fingertips, and my toes as well. It seemed to take forever, this receding line of pain, and I was again reminded of the ocean, pulling away from the shore, as if done toying with the rocks and leaving them stronger than before. Funny how I used a water metaphor when I was _burning_.

I was aware of little things then. The movement of someone…the faint sounds of voices…rustling of the air around me - wait, what? No, that couldn't be.

I heard something - a sweet, sweet sound that I hadn't heard in so long. A voice, so lovely in its pleasantness that it made my burning body ache with something akin to longing.

Bella.

The name shook me.

The name, as well as a pair of arms. Strong, steel-like arms picked me up and I was cradled into the chest of a man…I heard a voice I recognized as Carlisle's when the pain shot through me as I had been moved. I let out a yelp as the flames continued to lap at me while they drew back.

I felt the wind, then. Which was strange. I felt it more acutely than anything other than the pain I had been subjected to. Almost as if my senses were becoming more sensitive.

It was during this strange volley of wind against me that I realized that my chest was getting hotter. It was strange, as if the fading heat from my body was somehow being moved to the central point of my body - the heart.

I heard more voices, tinkling like wind chimes even when whispering, and they spoke very quickly. Somehow I could make them out, even through the cloud of head that seemed to surround me and everything I even thought of.

I felt the air stir around me. Scents met my nose. Sweet, strange, familiar, foreign. I was placed on something…a bed? I didn't open my eyes to check, couldn't, because the pain in my chest was growing, growing, evolving into some beast worse than the previous fire. The feeling was as if every bit of heat was being sucked out of my limbs and concentrated directly on my heart.

I felt a shocked gasp leave my throat.

Slowly, so slowly I thought I was going to burst, the flames left from my limbs. From my legs, arms, face, neck, everything seemed to cool off just slowly at the same time, but the intensity of the heat concentrated even more directly on my heart.

It wasn't long before I felt it.

Every other part of my body was wonderfully cool. So, so cold that I could almost smile from it, but then I felt my heart acccelerate.

It shot into action, a frenzied and horrifying beat. I would have been scared had my mind not been cleared of all the pain. If I hadn't finally realized what was happening to me, I would have thought I was having a heart attack. In a way, it was like that.

My heart beat frantically, like a hummingbird, and the flames soared and raged against it, trying to beat it down and tame it like it had the rest of my body. I was in awe. Somehow, I could manage thoughts through the pain, and it was something that was all too new to me. While I was under Victoria's control, the only thing I felt was pain, there was no room for other thoughts. And now...now, my mind was free and full of different thoughts, even as my chest ached.

I felt my heart go faster still, if that was even possible. Faster, faster, and when I thought it couldn't even possibly top the speed previous, it beat faster.

I grit my teeth as the pain lapped at my chest, felt my back arch. I rolled over on my side and clenched the fabric of the sheets in my fingers. I heard a shocking ripping sound - was that my chest? I growled, the very sound of it resonating like the Cullens' dulcet tones.

And then, it stopped.

Everything.

The pain left me. After such a long time in the inferno, the pain left my body cool and comfortable, fresh and new. It was almost strangely ironic, the way the pain left so quickly.

More shockingly, my heart had stopped.

I couldn't hear it, couldn't feel its steady and reassuring beat in my chest. So many times in the past months had I checked its rhythm to see if I was still alive, it felt strange and jarring to not hear it.

I wasn't even breathing. That was even weirder. I wasn't breathing, and it was comfortable. Like I didn't even have to. I had a game with myself to see how long I could hold my breath to see if I would eventually pass out, but it didn't work. I didn't need the breath, but somehow I craved it. Wanted that normal feeling, but also wanted the air in my lungs.

I inhaled, the crispness of the air whistled down my throat with such clarity I was almost speechless.

"What's wrong?" a voice said worriedly, "Why isn't he opening his eyes?"

I knew that voice. I waited to hear the thudding of my heart it would produce, but..._nothing_...

A snicker, "He's very amused with the fact of not needing to breathe."

I knew that one as well.

I figured it was no use in hiding the fact that I was finished - everyone else seemed to know this already - so I opened my eyes.

And stared.

And stared.

_And stared._

There were no words for this.

I could _see_. Yes, that sounded very tired and cliche, but I could see better than I ever thought anyone could. I could see all the grains and cracks and grooves in the wooden panels of the wall I was facing. I could see tiny bits of dust floating in the air. The minute details of small bugs, grotesque and strange looking in their clarity. I could see everything. I turned over on my back, looking at the ceiling and seeing more and more there. I could see the filaments inside the lightbulb, still shining brightly above me. And _colors_. There was one that no human could see...I couldn't even name it.

I sat up, the move strangely quick and liquid. The new me was speechless, stunned.

"Jasper..." I heard the sweetest voice sigh my name, and I turned toward the sound.

If I had thought Bella Cullen was beautiful with my human eyes, then she was an entirely different creature when seen with my enhanced, hawklike vision. I could see every detail of her face. And every detail was as beautiful as I thought previously, but sharpened to an enormous degree.

"Be careful, Bella." I heard Carlisle say. It was strange how these new ears heard everything. Magnified and intensified to the thousandth degree. Definitely would take some getting used to. "He's still a newborn. Remember."

I watched Bella nod, enraptured with seeing her for the first time since the woods...

I found that I had started growling.

"He's thinking of what happened..." Edward said. And I looked at him, and gasped. His good looks were magnified just as Bella's were. This shouldn't have shocked me, but it did. Feining flattery, he remarked, "Why, thank you."

I gave him a smile, and then turned back to Bella. I was surprised I was able to take my eyes off of her in the first place. She was staring at me with a mixture of emotions that I couldn't even place, and that was when I was aware of it.

I could _feel _them.

The emotions, fresh and crisp and magnified, all hit me at once. I remembered when I was human - wow, what a strange sentence that was - and the emotions I felt then. Sudden spurts, nothing else. But now it was completely different. I could feel _everything. _How Edward was amused, how Alice was excited, how Carlisle was intrigued, how Emmett was booming with happiness, how Rosalie felt prideful, how Esme was so motherly it hurt, how the wild-looking blonde vampire in the corner was...

Wait, I didn't know that vampire.

I saw red cloud my vision. I crouched and growled and then sprung. This vampire must be dangerous, I told myself as I stared at his strange eyes. I must get to him and take him out...

I didn't even manage to get my hands around his neck before I was grasped by Carlisle and Emmett. They restrained me as I thrashed, growling, hissing, clawing. I realized I wasn't even hurt by their steel-girder arms like I would have been had I been human. They felt like nothing. I could have thrown off just Emmett, I felt, or just Carlisle, but not the both of them. I struggled for a while, but felt my rage calming. Where had _that _come from?

"Jasper!" Bella's voice sounded in my ear.

I was still tense, my teeth still bared in defiance, but her hands on my shoulders stopped me. I would think that they would feel cold, icy, as they used to. But no...there was nothing cold about her hands now - they were almost warm. I wondered if this was a vampire thing, and decided it was automatically after I thought it.

My brain seemed much too large. I could focus on a variety of things at the same time without them becoming tangled in one another like when I was human. I was able to focus on the aura of shock coming off of the stranger, the concerned cries of Esme, Emmett's laugh booming in my ear, and Bella whispering my name reassuringly.

"Jasper, Jasper, it's okay. He's one of us."

Really? I had never seen him before.

Instead of voicing that, I said, "_Bella_."

She blinked, pleasantly surprised at my voice. I was stunned for a moment. This was my voice, taken and tampered with to the extreme. It was still me talking, but the sounds had the same bell-like quality of the Cullens and other vampires. Her name rang off my tongue, sounding clear and confident and musical in my new voice.

Bella smiled at me gently, and I grinned at her.

I felt a completely different aura emitting off of Bella - that of love. It was unlike anything else I had yet to experience here, and her emotion was so pure that it made my unbeating heart throb.

"Better have _guards _with him when he meets the rest of the Denalis." Alice suggested, her voice ringing pleasantly in my ears.

"The rest?" I questioned, and then felt Bella's hand tangle with my own. Every touch was more acute than when I was a mere human, and I felt it throughout my entire body.

I looked over at the blonde haired man, who was running a hand through his ponytail. He seemed kind of shaken, but affable, "It's alright. I remember being a newborn, as far back as that was. Any little thing will set you off."

"That's Garrett." Edward said, but his voice sounded puzzled. His whole _mood _screamed puzzled, actually. "He's Kate's mate."

"Kate?"

"Right here." another melodic voice met my ears. I turned so swiftly I was surprised I didn't fall over. Kate looked at me with amused golden eyes - another vegetarian vampire? - and grinned toothily. I felt the slight urge to attack the unknown, but I didn't let it overcome me like the first time. Her pin-straight blonde hair reached mid-back, and it swished when she approached. "Good to meet you."

"Yeah...you too..." I said, uncertain about the whole situation. Suddenly, a whole lot of questions flew through my mind, and I had no answers at all. This both confused and infuriated me. Then I remembered something about newborns having hair trigger tempers, and even that boiled my blood because I was fitting to the stereotype.

Ugh.

I was then introduced to the rest of the Denali coven, as they were called by Carlisle, and told that I was currently in Alaska, their domain. Carmen and Eleazar were a mated pair, like Kate and Garrett, and they both had dark, dark hair and a slight olive tint to their skin tone. I could feel the devotion radiating off of them in intense waves. Then I was introduced to Tanya, the last and only non-mated Denali. She was, like the others, incredibly beautiful, with blonde curls that framed her radiant face.

"Nice to meet all of y'all."

"Oh, Southerner," Tanya said in a jovially joking manner, "I could just _eat you up_."

Bella growled.

"Joking, Bella. Joking." Tanya winked at her, and Bella looked away, embarrassed and muttering apologies.

It seemed very crowded in the room, with all the vampires in it. I was feeling increasingly antsy, not liking the confined spaces at all. Almost like I was a wild dog, pinned up, wanting so desperately to be freed.

And then the pain it.

I wasn't aware I'd been injured, and I knew vampires were notoriously hard to affect that way, so I was surprised when it hit me, full force. The pain was like that of the burning, except muted. That didn't make it any less painful, however. My hand fluttered to my throat immediately. It felt as if I'd swallowed a hot coal, and I suddenly started swallowing as if that would help.

"He's thirsty." Edward voiced, looking at me in concern. I felt Bella tense at my side, and the other vampires suddenly looked as antsy as I had felt before. A few of their hands reflexively shot to their throats as well, and I knitted my brows in wonder. How did that happen? Everyone was now thirsty, when they hadn't been before.

"Yeah..." I said, surprised to find it true. That seeemed to be the only accurate description I could find.

Carlisle stepped up, smiling at me with ancient eyes, "First hunt."

Suddenly, I was excited. I wanted to test out this new body of mine. See what it could do. I was well aware of what the Cullens could do, and what the Denalis were capable of. I was aware of Diego's newborn strength.

"I believe I'm quite thirsty as well..." Esme spoke up, her voice kind and polite as her hand raked through her caramel colored locks. "And I just fed this morning."

I watched as everyone in the room squirmed, tried to think it out. How had everyone become so hungry the moment I discovered I was? It was ludicrous, insane to the biggest degree. Surely there was something wrong. I looked around the room, at everyone's puzzled gazes. Diego and Garrett seemed unperturbed. Perhaps they were used to feeling the insane hunger more than the reest. By the look of Garrett's eyes, I figured he hadn't been a vegetarian for long. They were a strange mix of gold and red, while Diego's were still startling in their crimson hue.

That's when it hit me, "Diego?"

"Yes..."

"He's decided to join our clan." Carlisle reported in a light tone, trying to dispell the atmosphere of hungry vampires. Another shockwave of hunger threatened to pull me under its tow, and I heard several vampires growl in response - Diego, Garrett, Emmett, and Alice.

Carlisle was about to say more, but Edward looked as if something was troubling him deeply, "Yes, yes, I'll tell you the complete story later, but let's go get you some food - a nice bear, perhaps?"

I stared at him for a while before walking toward the door. I heard Emmett guffaw, his hunger momentarily forgotten, "You're _walking_?"

I blinked at him. Emmett then moved so quickly that I was surprised I caught it, ending up at the window. He used one of his large hands to wrench it open with no sound at all, and then hurled himself out of the window. I found myself at the windowsill then, hands braced on the wood, my mind whirling back to when Bella had unceremoniously threw herself out of my own window so long ago. Their tumbling images converged in my mind, twirling together like twin ballerinas.

Emmett landed gracefully for such a big guy, not making a sound, "Well? Try it!"

He didn't yell the words, I noticed. He said them in a normal tone, but I heard everything so clearly it stunned me for a moment.

I looked back at Bella and the others, not hesitatingly, but with a large grin on my face. I felt anticipation thrilling through my veins. I gave Bella a wink before I sent myself through the window.

I outdid myself, doing a flip mid-air, and landing on my feet without even a whisper against the snow.

_Snow... _I thought. I didn't like this. It felt too familiar. Dread poured through me, but I knew that the cause of my fright was silly. It was just snow.

Snow that had once held the majority of my blood. Snow that had stuck to me and clung to me and turned my body a frightful shade of blue. Snow that made me shiver and quake, desperate and alone in the woods with only _her _for company.

I found that my mother's face was in my mind now, followed by Jessica.

I realized now that I was growling slightly. Where I might have found myself shaking before my transformation, but now all I felt was a stony stillness in my limbs.

"Stop." Edward was suddenly beside me. He was talking to me gently, placing a hand on my shoulder. I fought the urge to rip his throat out - that was so violent it frightened me. "Calm down."

I felt the calm radiating off of him in waves, it was hard not to be effected myself. Soon as I did, I felt languid and cool, almost as if I had stolen all of Edward's emotions and claimed them for myself. It helped the visions of the past, but not my raging thirst. It was so crippling that I was surprised I was still standing. But then again, this vampire body could take everything my human body couldn't and then some.

I watched as Edward's eyes narrowed slightly, as if he had felt something severe. Emmett let out a small yelp, startled.

I was, to say the least, puzzled at their strange reactions.

I could feel their hunger, equally as intense as mine, when just moments ago, that was the farthest thing from their minds. Was that the path of a vampire? Unpredictible, unbridled thirst, threatening to incapacitate you at random times? But this was different, strange. I had never seen the vampires react this visibly to the thirst before, though I knew I'd seen them under its influence.

It was all so very confusing.

I crossed my arms over my chest so quickly that I was stunned that I had done it for a moment. I didn't even have to think.

I heard a myriad of voices around me and realize that the rest of the vampires had joined us, looking thirsty. I _felt _it, too. The thirst was so magnified by everyone around me that it seemed to seep into my very bones.

I caught Edward staring at me - the wheels in his head appeared to be turning in some strange ways. Was he displeased with me for something?

I saw the minute shake of his head, so little of a gesture that I didn't think I would have seen it if I had been human, and felt relieved. At least my first day as a vampire would be without the other members of my coven angry at me.

_My coven._ I liked the sound of that phrase.

I felt the familiar pressure of fingers folding into my own. I didn't even have to look to find who it was, but I did anyway. My mate's lovely face looked at me with barely supressed happiness, her eyes positively glowing. I felt her delight as if it were my own, and it filled me up as if I were an empty glass.

I might have liked the ring that 'my coven' had to it, but there was one phrase I liked even better.

_My Bella._

* * *

_**End Chapter Thirty Five.**_

_Whew! Now that one was a doozy to write! I really liked writing it, though. It was really fun to write vamp!Jasper. As you can see, there are many questions to be answered, but those will come in due time, even though there are only a few more chapters left in this fic, I can safely say now. I am surprised at it myself for getting this far in such a short amount of time, but I am determined to finish this little fic of mine. _

_Anyway, I'm so glad that everyone is enjoying this fic. Thanks for reading!_


	37. Livewire

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Twilight._

_Alright, here's the latest chapter. I'm trying my best to get these out now that I'm so close to the end of this little fic of mine. Thanks so much for the reviews and kind words for the last chapter. Sooo, here's the newest one! Please enjoy! _

* * *

**Long Road to Ruin  
****Chapter Thirty Six: Livewire**

* * *

**Jasper.**

"Let's hunt," I said, determined and playful at the same time, trying to ignore the wicked burning in my throat.

Bella's fingers squeezed mine tightly - tighter than she dared to go when I was human - and I heard her melodic laugh, sounding so free and eloquent with my acute hearing.

"Let's split up." Carlisle recommended, ever the voice of reason, "Groups of four."

I looked at him quizzically, and then felt the answer come to me. A group of vampires - people - this large would be very noticeable. Might scream of something strange. I understood immediately. Strange, how fast this brain could comprehend things.

It was already decided that Bella was going with me. Carlisle wanted to go as well, with me being the newborn and all. I might get out of hand, and he was the oldest here. That left the last person... Edward's hand immediately shot up, eager and wondering in its quickness. I stared at him, wishing that I could read his mind for a change. All the other vampires quickly paired off, and then we were off.

Surprisingly, my little group was the last there. Everyone else was experienced when it came to hunting, and I had the faintest idea of what to do. Hunting, to my human brain, was classified as shooting animals with a gun. This kind of hunting was predatory, instinctual, animalistic. I inhaled a breath, loving the way the crisp, cold air filled my lungs, and looked over to Carlisle.

He was giving me a soft smile, noticing my apparent confusion, "It'll come to you, Jasper."

"Just concentrate."

The burning was almost overwhelming now, so I had no choice but. I closed my eyes. There were smells and sounds that I'd never been able to hear before. The craziest thing was that I could identify them with ease. I could smell the scent of the earth, deep beneath that wretched snow. I could smell the air, and notice the little things carried on its breeze - smoke, cooking food, and...what was that?

"He's noticed something..."

I darted into the woods with abandon. I could sense the vampires on my tail, but they were giving me a wide berth. Probably my volatile nature, I figured with a growl. My eyes were open now, my feet pounding away on the snow beneath me. However, they made no sound. I found that running as a vampire was completely liberating. I didn't know how the Cullens standed to drive in cars when they could get around this way. The wind whipped at my face. I dodged tree after tree, not tripping or running over anything. I just _knew _how to act, how to react, and it was _amazing_.

The smell was getting closer - something that called to me as it did to every other vampire.

Blood.

Pulsing and racing through some creature's veins. I could tell it was an animal, but even if it wasn't, I knew I wouldn't be able to stop myself.

I could hear murmurs and concerned whispers behind me, but they might as well have been the wind blowing for all I cared about it. I was thirsty, so thirsty that I couldn't think of anything else but the animal that was suddenly in front of me.

The wolf stared at me with cold, blue eyes. A beautiful creature, with a gray coat of thick, snow-matted fur, looking healthy with its heavy body. The muzzle had barely time to pull back over its teeth before I was on it.

I wasn't sure what came over me, but it was jarring. I found my arms around the body of the wolf, and then my teeth were in its throat and I was drinking, gulping down every last drop of the blood in that animal. The liquid was so sweet, tasting so good that I couldn't think of anything else in that moment. Its claws were trying to get a hold of me, trying to injure me, but it was no use. The sharp claws that would usually be good for attacking were no match for my granite skin. The wolf tried to bite down, wrenching its head in a strange motion, but I felt nothing.

The wolf soon started to stop in its struggle, wiggling only slightly before stopping altogether.

I drained the wolf, and then it seemed like I could act normally again.

I looked at the creature, and then felt horrified at myself. I came back to my thoughts, seeing what the creature actually was, and felt guilt like nothing else.

"A wolf..." I murmured, feeling the sadness leech into my body along with its blood.

I stood up from the position I was crouched in and turned to face the other members of my hunting party. I didn't know what my face looked like, but I figured it wasn't pretty.

I could still feel the warm blood on my clothes, quickly cooling from exposure to the elements, and I stared and stared and stared...

"Jasper...are you okay?"

"I...like wolves." I said in a broken way, feeling silly for caring so much.

Carlisle stepped forward and placed a hand on my bloodstained shoulder, "It's okay, son. You just have to remember to honor the sacrifice the wolf gave you. Its life might be over, but you can at least honor it by living well."

I looked at the blonde vampire and felt a smile grace my features. He was right. "Yeah..."

"Oh, what a Lifetime movie moment," Edward snarked, breaking with some humor into the situation. He was then serious, smiling lightly, and saying, "Jasper, meat-eating animals have a tendency to smell better to us, because of what they eat. A deer would smell different than that wolf, for example," he continued, "but, let's bury that wolf so you can feed some more. We'll have that lesson for later."

I realized that I was still thirsty, shockingly.

"Takes more than that to satiate us." Bella chimed with information. Learn something new every day.

I sighed, feeling the acute whistling of breath as it left my throat, and stared at the three vampires studying me.

"Wait for it...wait for it..." I heard Edward mumbling so quietly that not even his lips moved.

Then I realized what he was waiting for.

I smelled the blood before I even saw what animal it was. This was a different one, though, more earthy than the last, but I sped toward it nonetheless. Everything was thrown out of my mind as soon as I smelled it. I felt the presence of only one vampire behind me this time, however. I didn't dwell on it for long. I kept running, enjoying the pleasant feel of power just as my mind spiraled out of control with thirst.

I didn't have time to see the animal this time around. I immediately pounced, throwing myself onto its bucking and wriggling carcass.

It didn't fight back for long.

The hooves - I realized belatedly that it had them - tried to kick out and break bones. But nothing was giving way. And I was glad - I knew all too well what broken bones felt like. There were antlers, prodding into my throat, but nothing gave way. No pain, nothing. I heard a frantic bleeting sound, close to my ears, and for once I cursed my new hearing. My arms tightened and I felt its bones breaking with a sudden thrill of horror, but that was quickly overcome by the pooling of blood beneath the animal's skin.

I sank my teeth in; the animal didn't last long.

I drank greedily, like the first time, gulping down as much as I could. This blood definitely had a different taste, I realized, than the wolf. It wasn't unpleasant, but it wasn't what my body wanted. I realized with a shudder what it did want - a human.

But that couldn't happen. I had to abide by the vegetarian lifestyle. I couldn't go and kill innocents for no reason other than my own pleasure when I knew there was a safer alternative.

Plus, by losing my battle with the want for human blood, I would give up everyone I cared about - everyone that was left alive, that is.

I finished with the deer and made to dig a hole for it to be buried in. That was when I sensed it. I turned, feeling a strange growl come from my lips, and lowered myself into a crouch.

"Jasper, it's just me."

I felt the anger disappear at an instant. Carlisle stood in front of me, arms outstretched in a gesture of peace. Funny, I had expected Bella to be the one that followed me.

"Are you feeling better?"

"Much."

Carlisle smiled, "It seemed that Bella and Edward got so thirsty that they had to go hunting immediately after you left...I wonder why that is."

That smile seemed like he knew something that I didn't. I gave him a confused look, "What?"

Sensing my bewilderment, Carlisle continued, "Bella is one of our newer members, so it is understandable why she would need to go hunt after seeing you, but Edward has been at this for a while longer. His control is admirable. He rarely breaks like that."

I softly asked, "What are you trying to get at?"

"Edward has a theory, you see," he continued gently, not trying to ruffle my feathers. "He mentioned that you had a strange knack for feeling other people's emotions when you were human - only when they were very intense, you see. He thinks that may have carried over to this life."

I gaped at him. How could Edward have known? Oh, right, he could read minds. Damn him.

"How is that?"

"He mentioned that you could feel everything we were feeling. And...now, it seems, with your change, it has a reverse effect."

I stared at him, waiting for him to continue. This whole thing seemed ludicrous, but plausible. It would be a nice explanation for all the events.

"I think your particular gift is that of feeling emotions - and being able to send them out as well."

"Wh...what?"

Carlisle smiled, "Didn't you wonder why everyone suddenly wanted to go feed as soon as you realized you were thirsty? The intensity of your emotions effected them."

"That..." I started, "kinda makes sense, I guess."

"It's fascinating," he continued, "that we would find another gifted family member. Especially with a gift this..._intriguing_. Even right now, I am feeling strangely confused. Though I have no reason to be."

I felt my dead heart beat throb. _I _was thoroughly confused - could it be making Carlisle that way as well?

"I think the evidence has it." Carlisle continued, walking past me and depositing the kill into the hole in the dirt and snow, "I just thought you should be aware of it. Maybe, when you get your hunger under control, you can try to focus it. It would be a very interesting thing to see how you can alter people's emotions. If someone was nervous, you could send a wave of calm toward them. It could be helpful in times of strife. But, then again, this is all conjecture. I don't even know if your gift has that kind of reach. Then again, anything is possible."

With a movement that seemed too lazy for what he was talking about, he covered up the deer and turned to me.

"But, enough of that, Jasper. I'm sure you don't want to hear all of this."

I kinda did, actually. I was enraptured, fascinated by the gift that I might have.

"I wanted to tell you, Jasper," he came closer to me and pressed a kind hand on my shoulder. Somehow, I didn't feel the need to attack as a newborn might, "Welcome to the family."

I stared at him, feeling the extent of his fatherly emotion as if it were my own. It was enough to make me long for my own father.

"Glad that you'd have me."

* * *

My first day as a vampire was filled with the strangeness brought on by a major change, as it should be.

Edward had, apparently, informed all the other vampires about my supposed "gift," and when I got back to the Denali's house, I saw that everyone was staring at me with interest.

Then, the questions - and nonsensical statements - started.

"You really have a gift, Jasper?"

"No wonder I got so thirsty so quickly."

"It's amazing, truly, it is."

"Awesome!"

I laughed uncomfortably - the sound like a windchime, I noticed with shock - and scratched the back of my head out of nervous habit.

"You need to take a shower."

Well, I wasn't expecting _that_.

I looked over to Alice, who was smiling at me pleasantly, her bright eyes twinkling with mirth. I looked down at myself for the first time and realized that I was as covered with blood now as I had been in my last moments as a human. I had the feeling that I would be blushing otherwise, but I remembered Bella's lovely face, free of color, and knew that that wouldn't be the case.

"And look in the mirror while you're at it."

I stared at Alice incredulously, cocking my head to the side. Why would I want to do that?

Alice groaned and then was gone. The question about where she was had barely left my lips when I found her, standing in front of me with a large, elaborate, expensive-looking mirror, turned away from me.

"What - " She cut me off by turning the mirror towards me.

I stopped.

And I stared.

The face that stared back at me was lovely - equally as stunning as any of the Cullens. All my flaws from before had seemed to have been erased and recast in stunning beauty. I reached up and touched my hair, wavy and honey blonde, and saw that it seemed thicker than before. I was unnaturally pale. I hardly recognized myself, the change was so immediate to me. But despite that, I still looked like myself - just an abnormally supernatural version. I gaped at my reflection, trying not to notice the blood around my mouth, caked on my neck, and staining my shirt.

My eyes, though, were what shocked me.

Large and vividly red, they stared back at me.

"My eyes..." I trailed off. I wondered why they weren't golden yet. Shouldn't they be the same color as the Cullens' now? I had drank animal blood...

"It takes a while for the animal blood to dilute the color," Edward ventured. "Don't worry."

I gulped, "Yeah."

Alice's tiny face peeked from around the mirror, grinning at me. I would have been surprised she could hold it up, the thing was so heavy looking, if I hadn't known what she was - what I now was... "Mr. Model, hellooooo..."

I blinked, taken out of my reverie, "Yeah..."

She lifted the gigantic mirror over her head with just one hand, balancing it on her palm like it was a pizza box. "Shower?" she said, "We have much to catch up on, and I doubt that Tanya wants blood all over her furniture."

Tanya waved a hand as if to dismiss her, "Oh, don't worry about it, James Dean."

I blinked at her, feeling a sudden wave of happiness float over me. Somehow, now that I was aware of my supposed "gift," I felt some of it extend out from my body, almost felt it touching other people, everyone else in the room, and those people started to grin.

Maybe the idea of a gift wasn't so farfetched, after all.

I said my goodbyes for the moment. I definitely felt like I needed a shower, now that Alice had pointed out how dirty I was. I asked Tanya where the bathroom was and she pointed me in the direction of it, as well as showing me where the towels were. Edward gave me a change of his clothes, since we were about the same size, and then I made my way over to the shower.

The hot water felt wonderful against my skin. It gave a slight sizzle when it came into contact with my ice cold body. I stayed as long as I dared in the shower, loving the feeling of washing away everything that I had been carrying with me since I started my change. I washed away the feel of Victoria from my body, the feeling of helplessness, the dingy feeling of being indirectly responsible for murder. All of these thoughts floated through my mind and then some as I washed the blood and grime from my immortal body, frozen in time at this exact age.

I dried myself off and wrapped the towel around my waist. The bathroom was large, larger than the ones in my own - _old, _I told myself, _old _- house. I walked to retrieve the clothing and then looked up to see my reflection in the mirror.

It was even more startling without the blood caked around my face. The bright overhead lights shone down on me, lighting up every abnormally attractive feature.

The myth that vampires couldn't see their own reflection was shattered at my own feet as I looked at myself.

Even the planes of my chest and stomach seemed overtly defined. Muscles moved beneath skin, and I could feel their liquid strength. It resonated through my body like a symphony of the unreal.

My red eyes stared back at me, and I heard Victoria's distant cackling in the back of my mind.

I resisted the urge to punch the mirror in front of me - suddenly, I couldn't bear to look at myself.

I dressed, not wanting to look at the mirror any more. I avoided it at any cost. Sure, my new immortal body was superb, but I still needed time to heal from what had been done from me. Not everything had been changed when I was turned. I still had the memories. Though I had been sufficiently distracted before by the thirst and the newness of it all, they all came throttling back to me. My human memories were fuzzy, as if seen with eyes other than my own, not like the crystal clear appearance of my new, vampiric memories. I didn't want to focus on those awful last moments of my life, afraid that they would be etched with clarity with time. I didn't want to dwell.

But I couldn't help but see my mother's lifeless eyes, watch as she and Jessica were murdered over and over again - I could still hear my own screaming...

A knock on the door jolted me from my thoughts.

"Jasper," Tanya's cheery voice chimed, "you didn't drown, did you?"

I gave a laugh, "No, no." _Nothing so fortunate._

I put the towel in the hamper, made sure that everything was clean and precise as it was when I entered the room, and moved out the door. I was still surprised at my own silence. I just couldn't get over the fact that this house, filled to the brim with vampires, was so silent. It was hard to imagine anyone in the room downstairs, but as I descended, I saw the many, perfect faces of the people that were my family, the people that would become my friends.

"Jasper!" I heard Emmett chime, "Right over here, ya big lug!"

I tried to put myself in a good mood - now that I knew about my power, I didn't want anyone catching my mood, which was far from cheerful at the moment. I plastered a smile on my face and tried to force a feeling of content into my veins. I sat next to Emmett, who wrapped his arm around me like the brother he was. I smiled at him and he grinned back, his dimples showing even in his marble-like features.

We talked for a while. Everyone had their opinions on everything that happened. I heard several theories, people snarling at the appropriate times. I think that everyone pretty much had the idea of what had happened to me, so I wasn't needed for conversation much, which I was grateful for.

I noticed idly that even though Diego was in his usual place, alone and leaning against the wall, that Tanya was talking rather kindly to him. Her face, while playful and sardonic around me, was inviting and warm around him. She used her hands to talk as well as gentle words. I was surprised at this, but then again, I shouldn't be. Diego was probably just as damaged as I was, since he had been on a diet of human blood regularly when he was with Victoria. I didn't actually have a hand in killing, when he did - just to survive. I wondered if Carlisle told him the same thing he told me - to honor their deaths by living well.

I saw that Diego had cracked a smile - something that I hadn't seen. It was a first, and it only enhanced his features. His eyes were glinting with something barely supressed, and I realized that he liked Tanya - just like Tanya liked him.

Well, that was quick.

_"It's quick...irrevocable..."_

Those words chimed through my head, heard so long ago, and I realized that it was truer now, seeing it through the eyes of an observer.

The night passed quickly. The house was huge, enough to allow for every couple their own room. I wondered how Tanya and her clan had gotten a hold of it, when Edward supplied, "They're old friends of Carlisle's. He financed this. You know he has no shortage of money."

Of course, living forever would allow you to accumulate a bunch of dough.

One by one, the couples disappeared to their rooms. I wondered what they did. They must have an abundance of time, not having to sleep and all.

Bella's hand twined in my own, and she smiled at me. We were the last ones left, sitting on the couch together. The oncoming dawn was seen through new eyes, brilliant even though muted through the clouds. She got up from the couch, pulling me with her, and said, "I have something to show you."

I cocked my head to the side, wondering what she could possibly be talking about. She led us up the stairs to the room where I had first awoken as a vampire, and told me to sit down.

I did, all the while confused out of my mind.

She left me there for just a matter of seconds, and then reappeared, her hands behind her back. I could faintly smell something familiar...brand new leather. What would that be?

"I...thought you might want this...something to remember the good times by," she said. Her voice was quiet, barely a whisper, but I was able to hear it with no problem.

I watched with rapt fascination as she presented me with the baseball glove that was my mother's last present to me. I had thought it was gone forever. They had mentioned something about burning the car to cover up the accident, so I thought everything was lost. But not that glove. Somehow, my heart was able to soar, even through all of the pain I had associated with that last trip to Texas.

She placed the glove on my lap, and in the palm of it I saw my mother's topaz pendant, given to her by my father. I saw the familiar broken clasp of it, and it twinkled as if in greeting. I felt my chest tighten, remembered that vampires didn't have the ability to cry.

These two reminders of my past were enough to bring anyone to their knees. I saw Bella's face crumple slightly, realizing that my emotions must be altering hers as well, and said, "Sorry. I need to learn to control that."

"No," she replied, "it's fine."

I took the baseball glove and pendant off of my lap, placing it on the bed next to me. I reached out for Bella, beckoning her to come here. She did, moving so that she was standing between my legs.

"Thank you...you have no idea how much that means..."

Bella pressed her hand against my chest, "I think I do, thanks to your gift."

I gave her a smile, one that I could feel to my very core.

I moved my hand to cup the back of her neck. She hummed in appreciation, and I was surprised by the intensity of the current that seemed to flow between us. Bella leaned forward and paused for a moment, seeming to gather herself before pressing her lips to mine.

This kiss was completely different from the ones we shared when I was a human. Instead of her lips dominating mine, I was able to keep up with her, sometimes turning the tables on her completely. The emotions rolling between us were something that I had never felt before, something that I could hardly keep to myself, but I knew I had to reel in my control. I tried my best to send a calm wave through each of us. It seemed to work. I was ready for a lot of things, but not for _that _at this particular moment.

Innocently, we moved so we could both lean against the headboard of the bed, ignoring the tattered and torn sheets from where I had gripped during my transformation.

For the first time in such a long time, I felt _happy._

* * *

_**End Chapter Thirty Six.**_

_Who else is excited for Harry Potter! :D OMG. Excuse the outburst. Anyway, Jasper's experiences as a newborn vampire continue! Haha, I hope that everyone is enjoying this fic. I would really love to hear your opinions about this and all of that jazz. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing the past chapters! It means a lot!_


	38. Empath

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Twilight._

_Here's the latest chapter! I really hope that y'all enjoy it. There's some lighthearted stuff in here, just for some fun filler before the last end of the story picks up. Anyway, please enjoy! _

* * *

**Long Road to Ruin  
****Chapter Thirty Seven: Empath**

* * *

**Jasper.**

I realized, with great clarity, that the days of a vampire tended to pass like minutes.

The new year dawned on me while I had been burning, and I was altogether shocked at how everything was supposed to transpire.

The Cullens were to continue their year at Forks High, just to not arouse suspicion, and then they would meet me here, where they would help me get used to this life, and all that entailed. Of course, Bella would at least be running back and forth every day to see me. It didn't take long at all, not with this vampire-speed. I was unable to go to my mother's grave. Too risky - they couldn't chance the fact that I could be seen. That would open a whole lot of questions.

The days seemed to slip by. I tried my best to control my gift, going so far as to trying to use it as Carlisle suggested. I used the odd person to help out. Diego was more than helpful, and we got along like old friends. Which wasn't really surprising. We still had that bond - he saved my life, of course. We had the familiar background of that wretched cabin and that damned woman. Something good came out of it at least. I had a new friend, as well as a new life. No matter how painful things seemed, I could always look at that and things seemed infinitely better.

I figured out how to make my power work, slightly. I just had to concentrate and send out a wave of any emotion of my choosing toward the intended target. It took a while of practice, the rest of what would have been my Christmas break, in fact, but I was able to make it happen without much difficulty. I had yet to learn how to control it when I, personally, felt a particularly strong emotion. Carlisle told me that would take time - vampires weren't just born with the ability to control their gifts at will. It took Bella a while before she was able to discover how to control her shield.

So for now, as I sent waves of emotion toward Diego - anger, then a speck of calm to dispell it - I could only think of what was next.

I had been lucky so far, not coming across any humans so far, so they didn't know how suseptible I was to human blood. They didn't want to take the chance, wanting to try it out when I had learned to hunt properly and to control my urges even for the animals around me. Plus, they wanted to wait for my eyes to change into the liquid gold of the Cullens instead of the blood red of a newborn. Certainly someone walking around with red eyes would freak out the locals.

Then I found that my mind was wandering. I thought about tomorrow. That was when school started back. Bella and the other Cullens would have to go to Forks to begin the last part of their school year. I wasn't sure where they were going to go after. I heard Carlisle talking about some school in Alaska close by. I sighed and tried to block my mind from it. Suddenly, I missed the mundane thing of going to school.

"Yo, Jazzyfer!"

I sent more calming emotions toward Diego, who visibly slackened in his angry position. He looked slightly disoriented, blinking his strange red-gold eyes a few times before running a hand through his messy hair. After making sure he was better, I turned to the sound of the booming voice.

Emmett was staring at me, grinning, a baseball bat in his large hands.

I felt a large smile break across my face, "Is that what I think it is?"

The large vampire seemed hardly able to contain his excitement. He was almost vibrating with it, even. "Yes."

"Are we - "

"_Yes_!"

I shot over to Emmett immediately, grinning larger than I had in the span of my time here. Diego was close behind, looking quizzically at Emmett and the baseball bat.

"Alice said there's going to be a _snowstorm_!"

I choked out a large laugh. It was absolutely hilarious that Emmett was finding a blizzard a happy occassion, but when compared to what we were about to partake in, I knew that I would be excited too. No, scratch that, I was definitely excited. No question about it.

Diego was looking back and forth between the two of us, "What's going on?"

"Oh, Diego, my friend," Emmett patted his back harshly, "at exactly six o'clock this evening, we're playing baseball."

Diego's eyes lit up considerably after that.

All of the vampires got together inside of the Denalis' spacious house, cluttered together and talking enthusiastically about the oncoming game. Apparently, baseball was something of a pasttime for each of the covens. I supposed they had to do something to help pass eternity instead of going to school and doing other mundane tasks to keep themselves on the downlow.

Soon, six o'clock rolled by and the winds outside picked up as well. I shot up from my seat, thrilling with anticipation, and stared out at the whirling snow. Even through the blistering snow, I could see everything perfectly. I could see the individual snowflakes, clinging together, could see far, far out where some other houses were.

I heard the back door open and close several times in succession, and knew that my family had gone outside to the designated area. I rushed to the still-open door, and flung myself out of it. The wind was strong enough to knock any human off of their feet, but I stayed firmly grounded. I stood there for a moment, some of the snow seeping into the house, before running to catch up. I heard a few people behind me, and knew that I hadn't been the last one out of the house.

Emmett and Carlisle were leading the way, experts in their altered state. We ran a distance from the house before we arrived at a clearing. I could see clearly, even when pelted with the gluelike snow. I could see now why they picked a blizzard - the wind was so loud that no one could hear the booming sound of vampire-baseball being played.

The trees surrounding the large space provided good cover. Not a lot of snow was able to get through the thick throng of trees. I was glad for this, thinking that we would soon look like snowmen. Teams were picked - I ended up on a team with Emmett, Edward, Kate, Diego, and Carlisle. The other team consisted of Rosalie, Alice, Garrett, Tanya, Eleazar, and Bella.

"Hey, no fair! You got two newborns!" Garrett complained, looking with disdain and Diego and myself.

"You should have picked them before me, then!" Emmett grinned toothily.

Carmen and Esme would play the role of umpire this time. With twice as many vampires on the scene, it was certain there would be twice as many attempts at cheating, even though I was sure only one would suffice, now knowing the full extent of a vampire's powers. But Esme and Carmen looked happy to have each others' company, and I didn't blame them.

They flipped a coin of all things to decide who would bat first. My team got put at outfield first, much to Emmett and Edward's disappointment. They got over it though, as soon as they looked at Diego and myself.

Kate got up to be our pitcher. She looked stony and determined, but a slight mischevious glint was in her eyes.

"No electrifying the ball, Kate!" Bella chimed from next to home plate, "We know that's why Emmett picked you!"

I looked at Diego for answer, but he just shrugged. I heard Edward giving us an explanation, "Kate has the power to generate a powerful electric current through her body. Sometimes when we play, she does it to the ball," he looked at her with rapt admiration, "and it..."

"It causes you to _cheat_!" Rosalie finished from the other side of the field, right next to Alice.

I watched as Kate turned around, ball in hand, and winked at me.

I heard Rosalie mumbling under her breath, "That damn Emmett. Loading his team with options to cheat."

"Rosie, babe, don't worry!" the vampire in question boomed from a ways behind me, "It's just a friendly game!"

"Shut up, McCarty!"

Emmett sent a wink in my direction that time, grinning like the fiend he was.

"Pitch the ball, Kate," Alice mentioned, "we hardly have time!"

In a fractijon of a second, the ball was flung out of Kate's hand. I heard a loud, thundering crack as Rosalie hit the ball.

And then everything started moving. I could make everything out now, unlike the first time I'd been witness to a game played exclusively by vampires. I could see the ball hurtling away, could watch Edward as he ran to chase it down and make a catch. He threw it back to Kate, who grinned and tossed back her pin-straight blonde hair.

The game continued at a pace that wasn't too fast for me now, and I couldn't have been more delighted. I even ended up catching Bella out, much to her aggravation. As we switched positions on the field, I zoomed past her and gave a kiss to her cheek. She glowered playfully at me.

Emmett was up to bat first, and his hit echoed loud and long, the ball soaring so far that it got to the point where it was hard to see due to the trees, but I managed to see it.

After a few minutes of waiting, I was up to bat. I could barely control myself. It was almost as if I was in a real, MLB game. Something that I was really excited over. I felt the energy vibrating through my body, tickling the tips of my fingers, and noticed the rest of the people start to move restlessly. Oops. I really needed to learn to control my gift.

Alice shook it off and threw the pitch. I could see the ball clearly, heading for me like some kind of missle. I stood my ground and swung the bat.

_BOOM!_

I had never heard a sound like that before, so loud was it in my ears. I stared in wonder at the ball as it zoomed through the blowing snow, over the tops of the trees.

And then I ran.

I rounded the bases as well as I knew how. I felt almost as if I was back at Forks High, except without all of the supernatural-things.

I ended up getting to the base before the ball was caught, just as Diego did before me, and I stared at Emmett. I couldn't keep the foolish grin from my features, and Emmett looked at me with barely concealed incredulity. I waited for his face to return to normal, but it didn't happen. I stared at him, wondering what could have gotten him so stunned, when I saw it.

In each of his hands, he held a half of the bat. The bat that I had previously been holding.

The bat that I, apparently, had just broken.

I adopted his look of incredulity, walking forward and touching the places where the wood had splintered and cracked along the sides of it. "Did..._I _do that?"

Emmett started laughing heartily, and Carlisle came up to me ruffled my hair in a fatherly gesture.

"Newborn strength never ceases to amaze me," Carlisle said in a fit of laughter. Soon, I heard the laughs of everyone around start to penetrate the air.

"But...Diego didn't...he hit it just fine!"

Emmett snickered at some untold dirty limerick in his head, I knew, but Carlisle just said, "Diego is technically older than you - he was turned first, so the natural strength of the newborn is leaving his system, whereas yours is in full strength."

"Well, everyone, looks like we win by default!" Edward announced broadly to all the vampires in the clearing. I still stared at the bat, but I could hear the argument that ensued.

"No! We were ahead in points anyway!"

"But Jasper broke the bat, so we win!"

"If anything, that should mean that _we _win!"

The wind started to die down, the snow fell in sparse flakes; however, the laughter of everyone was at a peak, as well as the arguments of Edward, Emmett, Alice, and Rosalie. I could do nothing but stare at the broken bat in awe that I had actually done something like that.

Bella's magical laughter sounded suddenly in my ear, "Nice going, Babe Ruth."

I felt my own laughter spill from my lips, felt my mate's fingers twine with my own, and realized that this was all that I would ever want.

* * *

"Jasper."

I looked up smoothly to see Esme standing in the doorway, a glittering object in her hand. She gazed at me with kind, golden eyes, and I gave her a smile, which she returned.

"Yes, Esme?" I frankly wasn't expecting any company. I had just gotten back from hunting - I had tried to keep myself fed at every possible opportunity. I wasn't Carlisle, or even Edward for that matter, I couldn't go days on end without feeding. I couldn't control myself, or my emotions, if I missed a day. Carlisle had assured me it would be better, and I trusted him. If anyone knew what they were talking about, it was Carlisle.

But anyway, I had just taken a shower - I still hadn't gotten the hang of hunting without ending up looking like a mass murderer - and was now watching the small television in my temporary room in the Denalis' humble abode. Bella told me that she and the other girls were going shopping for a good while, so I had some time to myself.

Esme stilled in the door before she approached me, giving me all the politeness of a mother. I decided to honor her consideration by muting the television in front of me. The basketball players on the screen moved around, silent.

"I brought this..." she said, holding up the glittering object in her hand. I stared at it for a moment, realization clicking instantly.

"My mother's necklace..."

Esme nodded, looking abashed, "I kind of took it."

"Uh," I said intelligently, "can I ask why?"

She glided over to me and deposited the pendant in my hand, her fingers brushing my palm slightly as she did so. I looked at it in wonder, my eyes finally landing on the formerly broken clasp. It had been mended, and now was able to close the circuit the pendant made. I stared at it, feeling a strange pressure on my throat, "You fixed it..."

Esme smiled, "When you have so much time, you pick up useful little things."

I couldn't find words. I opened and closed my mouth like a fish. I was filled with a gratitude that I wasn't sure how to express, it was so strong. I looked at Esme and smiled shakily with the force of the emotions. I said, "Thank you so much. I never thought - "

She held up a long, slender hand, stopping me, "You're welcome."

I looked at her with a puzzled expression, and she said, "I can _feel _it, Jasper - your thankfulness. That's enough for me." She paused, "It's insane how powerful your gift is."

I felt like my cheeks should be fiery red right now, but I knew they would show nothing of my flustered state.

She gave me a smile, "Your eyes are starting to turn. Just slightly, but I can tell."

I jolted up, clenching the necklace in my hand, and raced to the mirror that was attached to the dresser in my room. I looked at my reflection, pushing past a moment of shock at my features, and saw that Esme was right. It was just faint, but I could see the the flecks of gold appearing throughout the red. It looked strange, though, almost like the gold was starting to mingle with the red, like paint being swirled around. The flecks were just barely there, though. I was sure that only a vampire could be able to see them. I turned to Esme with a look of slight triumph.

"Whew, that kind of happiness is enough to bowl someone over," she chided playfully, cluching her stomach.

I looked at my feet, "Sorry. I really should learn how to control that."

Suddenly, she was at my side, he hand pressing lightly on my shoulder, "Don't worry. It'll come with time. And you have plenty of that."

I looked over at her and I smiled.

"Yeah, you're right."

* * *

The Cullens left early the next morning.

They needed to get back to Forks and finish school, of course. I didn't blame them. Anything to keep their profile low and not raise suspicion. I understood. I said a quick goodbye to them all, and they were off, with Bella promising that she'd be back later that night, along with the rest of them. It wouldn't be too bad, I surmised, at least they'd be coming back.

I felt that my thirst was getting out of control. Even though I had gone hunting yesterday, I still felt the burn as strong as ever. Carlisle said this was normal for newborns, for their thirst to be so intense that they need to hunt more than once a day, but that it would get better in time once I was older. I took his word for it. Carlisle had never lied to me before, so I didn't see the reason he would start now.

I was aware that my thirst was making everyone in the house as antsy as I felt. I realized I needed to get my gift under control more than ever when I looked at them, tense and grasping the edges of the desk with their fingers.

"Uh," I announced nervously, "I'm going to hunt."

They seemed to know that as soon as I left, the unbearable thirst would leave their bodies. Tanya, however, whose eyes were pitch black, stood up and said, "I'm going too. I haven't hunted in so long."

"Right," I nodded at her, and then turned to leap out the back door.

Tanya was on my heels. I was completely lost with the thirst, but I was aware of that much. She made idle conversation, talking about my gift and all. I gave her answers as much as I could, but sometimes the burn got so bad that the only thing I could do was grasp my throat and nod at her.

We came upon a group of deer, so quietly that none of them noticed. I stared at them as if they were the finest of hamburgers.

"Go ahead, Whitlock." Tanya motioned for me to go first. I mouthed a thank you and charged into the throng of animals. There were four large does. I dispatched of two, while Tanya got the other two.

I drank, and it was an instant relief, almost like the blood was cool water and my throat was on fire. I gulped greedily, unconcerned about the mess I was making around myself. Maybe I should. I really needed to stop getting bloodstains on Edward's clothes, even though Alice never let any of her family wear the same thing twice.

I tossed aside the doe before moving onto the next one, my teeth sinking into the other deer's neck, severing the jugular and filling my mouth with warm liquid.

I drained the animal, and then pulled away from it, looking over at Tanya, who was grinning toothily down at me. No blood adorned her like I was sure it was on me, but the two deer at her feet were drained dry.

"It's alway amusing to see newborns feed," she said loftily.

"You really know how to make a guy jealous," I told her, giving her a slight grin.

"Oh, you have _no _idea."

I felt a chuckle escape my lips before getting to my feet. I helped Tanya dispose of the deer, and we buried them as far down as we could muster.

"You up for more?" Tanya asked, glancing in my direction as she smoothed the snow over the makeshift grave.

I gave her a smile, just as the burn throbbed in my throat, "Sure."

We were off then, racing around the woods like madpeople. I could smell in front of us that there were a few animals. A moose, a small raccoon in the bushes nearby said moose, a large pack of wolves, and several birds.

"I got dibs on the - "

The scent hit me like a ton of bricks.

Oh, whatever it was...it smelled so _good_. It was as if as soon as I smelled that particular scent, every other possibility was thrown out the window like trash. That smell was the only thing I cared about, and it was calling to me like a siren to a stranded sailor. I had never had the pleasure of a scent like this before. I quickly turned off the path from where we were going, and Tanya shouted to stop me.

I wasn't going to listen to her. I had no intention of ignoring the call of this mysterious blood.

"Jasper, stop!" She must have smelled the same thing that I had. But no, I would get there first. I would get there before her. This particular animal was mine, and I would not give it up to anyone.

I had no sense of self-control left. It had abandoned me as soon as those peculiar, bewitching notes of blood reached my nostrils.

"Jasper!"

I was a creature, an animal. Nothing would stop me from this. I would have it. _I must have it._

I was growling in my throat, so rough and uncontrolled that I could definitely be mistaken for a wild beast. There was no way that my pursuer could catch me now. I would get there first. The kill was _mine_!

Clarity had long since abandoned me.

I knew this, because as soon as I came upon the source of the blood, I didn't stop.

I didn't stop, not even when I saw the whites of her eyes, not even when she screamed in terror, not even when the same intense terror she felt washed over me like a wave, not even when I felt her red hair - _like blood, like __**her **__blood_ - tickle my cheek.

I didn't stop, I couldn't stop.

I was unable to stop, even when I sank my teeth into her neck and her screams drowned out everything else.

Everything else, except the voice at the back of my mind that whispered, "_Monster_."

* * *

_**End Chapter Thirty Seven.**_

_Wow, okay, here you go! I hope that y'all enjoyed this chapter! I had a good time writing it, of course. I was glad to have it done. This one was rather taxing to write. Anyway, this sets us up for the last bit of the fic. Anyway, I would love it if y'all would review! It would mean a lot._

_Thanks for reading! _


	39. The Final Cut

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Twilight._

_Thanks so much for the reviews! Sorry that this author's note is a bit short, but I'm just gonna get on with the story, because I know y'all clicked here to read the story and not my blabbering about it. Anyway, here it is! _

* * *

**Long Road to Ruin  
****Chapter Thirty Eight: The Final Cut**

* * *

**Jasper.**

I was lost in my own greed.

I heard a cracking sound, realizing that my victim's fists were breaking on impact when she tried to punch me. I ignored it. I knew that she wouldn't hurt me. The animal inside me was raging, glad at finally being released into the open, finally free of his cage, finally able to have what it wanted the most - human blood.

Then, I felt it.

I knew it was there, it had been battering at my head ever since I laid eyes on her.

I could _feel everything._

She was scared. So, so scared. Petrified. I could feel all of her emotions, as vividly as they were my own. Somehow, this was stronger than I'd experienced anything in a while. Stronger even than Victoria's rage - but I supposed that was because I had been human at the time of that. All of her terror seeped into me, soaking me through like I was a sponge, retaining everything. My unbeating heart stuttered in my chest, and I heard Tanya's frantic pleas, mixed in with the gasping last breaths of the poor human I was crushing with my vice-like grip.

I heard her bones snapping underneath the pressure of it all, sounding like the pops and cracks of a firework about to go off.

Soon, her struggling ceased, her breathing stopped, and I finished my meal.

As soon as the blood was gone from her body, it was almost like I was snapped out of a trance, like some sick hypnotist had put me under mind control and was having an awful experiment with my body.

The animal, tamed now, resumed its place in the cage in the back of my mind, silent and satiated. I noticed that for the first time after feeding, my throat didn't burn at all.

I was slightly disoriented, wondering what was going on. I had no recollection of the events that had transpired. All I was aware of was that I felt strangely satisfied, and that I was more soaked in blood than usual.

Then, my mind came back into focus.

I was suddenly jolted into awareness. I looked down and saw the mangled throat and neck of a woman staring me in the face. Her head lolled to the side like some twisted version of a doll. I felt numb for the first time, unable to feel anything other than the complete state of panic issuing from behind me.

Tanya.

"Jasper! Oh, my God, _Jasper_!"

She was trying to get a hold of my shoulders, my arms, anything to wrench me away from the body. Her panic seeped into my veins, and I could recognize it as her own, because I was past feeling anything. I let go of the empty body, letting it fall with an ungraceful _plop _in the snow next to me. There was blood... Everywhere, there was blood. Staining the snow, staining my clothes, staining my skin...

"What...what have I _done_..." My voice was a whisper, barely audible to even Tanya's ears.

I stared at the woman, surveying her appearance. How had this happened? It seemed so random and _stupid_. And here I thought I was doing a good job with my self control! Here I thought I was actually not going to be one of the ones that lost it and killed some random person.

I had been so _arrogant_.

I slid back from the body, as if it would infect me even more than it already had. I made a path in the snow while I slid away, and into Tanya's shins. Her arms were around me in an instant. I could feel the pity wash over me like it was a cool salve. Except that the salve had no use here. It wouldn't work. Feeling someone else's pity would just intensify my own feeling of shock and horror. Tanya kneeled to my side and gathered me in her arms. The gesture felt more motherly than anything else.

"Oh, Jazz, it'll be fine."

_No, no, no._

Her voice could have been miles away from all I gathered from it.

_No, no, no._

"Shh, it'll be okay."

_No, no, no._

I hadn't realized I had actually been voicing _no_ the entire time, until she brushed my waves of blonde hair away from my temple. I couldn't keep my eyes away from the body in front of me. I stared blankly, my head whirling, my mind berating me for being so foolish and stupid that I could even think for a moment that this wouldn't happen to me.

The woman was crumpled in a heap. I could see awful bruises decorating her hands, and I was sure there were even more underneath the heavy winter coat she wore. I could still see the mangled flesh of her neck where I had bitten... Her hair was so red that it looked like the blood that no longer poured from her body, that no longer ran through her veins. Her brown eyes were wide open, staring blankly.

A flash of my mother's face ripped through my memory, and then Jessica's face replaced it.

I was no better than Victoria or her cronies.

"Close...close her eyes..." I requested, and felt Tanya's pause. I remembered no one ever giving that courtesy to my mother or my friend, and I at least wanted that for this anonymous woman.

Tanya seemed to understand, so she rose and did so. I watched her graceful form as she walked the few feet from me to the mangled body, put her fingers over the woman's eyes, and then hefted her over her shoulder like she was just a sack of potatoes.

"What..."

"I have to dispose of her. This will be cause for concern if anyone finds her out here, you know that," she said. Her voice was as soft and sympathetic as I'd ever heard it. I felt a strange stinging at the backs of my eyes, as if I wanted to cry suddenly, but there was no moisture. I could feel my face crumble and my breathing become more labored. I wrapped my arms around my middle, as if that would help.

"Diego, please, take him back to the house." Tanya said, and then she was gone.

I turned around, stunned that I hadn't even heard Diego approach. He was looking at me with such kindness that I could barely stand it. I felt a sense of understanding rolling off him in waves, something that soothed me, but not enough to make me feel at all better.

"Come on, Jasper," he said, lifting me up onto my feet. I watched as he walked over to the bloodied snow and begin to mess around with it, digging a giant hole in a matter of minutes and plunging the tainted snow down into it. He covered the snow up and then turned to me.

"Let's get you back to the house, brother," he said. I felt a thrill of something unknown come over me at the term of endearment. It was as if knowing that he still thought kindly of me was just enough to get me moving.

It didn't last long, however. I could still feel the woman's terror, coursing through my veins just as her blood was. I looked down at myself and saw that I was absolutely covered with it. My clothes, my hands - nothing seemed to have gone untouched by the blood.

He started to run, dragging me along by the hand until I could gather myself enough to run unaided. I didn't see the scenery, didn't smell anything, didn't hear anything. I didn't want to. I had stopped breathing, the only thing that helped me hunt. I didn't want to come across another unknowing human and take their life as well.

We arrived at the house in what seemed like hours, but had only been a few minutes, in reality.

It all looked the same. Everything in its place. It was almost eerie, how nothing else had changed when I had gone through the worst change of all.

I was now a vampire with human blood on his hands.

A _murderer_, as my conscious so blatantly pointed out just minutes before.

Diego opened the back door, walking in before I did. I almost couldn't manage it, entering a house with purely vegetarian vampires when I had suddenly gone carnivore.

I walked in, though, and expected to see the judging faces of every Denali member.

However, I was met with the sorrowful face of Carlisle Cullen.

"Alice saw what happened. She gave me a call as soon as she could. They're on their way now - "

I didn't care.

I felt like a kid again, a stupid kid who had done something bad for the first time in his life, and so I threw myself at the man who had helped create me. My father in every sense of the word. He didn't look shocked, taken aback, or anything like that. He took me in his arms, and I felt like I was so very young again, escaping in my birth father's arms as my mother watched.

Carlisle wrapped his arms around me in a fatherly gesture, something that made my heart ache worse than anything else.

I thought idly that I was surely getting blood on his clothes, but he didn't seem to care. If anything, he pulled me closer.

He pressed a hand to the back of my head, and said, "It will all be fine, son."

For the first time, I wasn't sure if I could believe him.

I wasn't sure how long I stood there, hearing his strangely soothing voice in my ears, but I eventually pried myself from Carlisle and felt the ashamed look cross my features.

"I'm sorry..."

"Don't be," he said, kind and firm in his words.

"I'm...I...I think I'll go clean up." I murmured, "Before they get here."

Carlisle nodded, the epitome of understanding, and let me go. I saw the rest of the Denalis and Esme peek from in the living room before joining Carlisle in the kitchen. I made my way up the stairs and fumbled around to the bathroom - the only vampire to ever fumble, I was certain.

I shut the door behind me, not minding my strength, so the doorframe quaked. I paid it no attention. I hastily moved to the space underneath the sink where Alice had stashed fresh clothes and towels, knowing how often I had to clean myself of blood. I brought out a pair of jeans and a green t-shirt, purposefully avoiding the red shirt that lay atop it.

I threw those on the countertop beside the sink, as well as a pair of boxers and a large towel.

I made the mistake of looking at my reflection in the mirror.

Staring at me was a bloodied man, more akin to the ghost of a murder victim than a murder himself. I ran a hand through my hair, and my image mirrored it. Blood caked the blonde strands, sticking it to my scalp. I saw the blood, gory and tell-tale, coating the lower half of my face, falling down my chest like a stilled waterfall. Blood was on my hands, my pants, smeared across my cheeks.

I stared in shock, unable to do anything but. I felt the rage at myself reach its peak as soon as I saw my reflection, as if I was suddenly face-to-face with what I'd done.

I felt my lips curl up in a snarl, as well as witnessed it in the mirror. My gaze suddenly focused on my eyes.

The eyes, which I had been so proud of yesterday for showing signs of gold, were pure red again. And bright red, at that. They hadn't been this bright since I had been changed.

My chest suddenly ached, as if someone had struck their hand through it, and I could bare to look at myself no longer.

I stripped myself of the ruined clothes, never wanting to see them again. I was so hasty that I heard several rips, my clothing becoming shredded in my hands. I threw them to the ground as if they were poisoned.

I turned on the water in the shower before hopping in. I couldn't get in the hot spray fast enough. I felt dirty, awful, _wretched_.

I stood in the shower for a while, watching as the water got rid of some of the fresher blood, but some of it was still caked on, as if it bled permanently into my skin. I felt disgusted and quickly reached for a small washcloth. I started scrubbing as hard as I could, at every place on my body. I wanted it _off_. I scrubbed and scrubbed. Frantically. Desperately. Insanely.

"...no...no...no..." I felt the muttered chant coming from my lips, strange and automatic, as if I were a robot.

I scrubbed the blood from my body, watching as it mingled with the water from the showerhead. It twisted and twirled together innocently, pouring down the drain like it was nothing. Almost like the blood was dirt - and it could be, if I imagined hard enough. But I didn't. Couldn't. I couldn't get it out of my mind. Flashes of violence pervaded my vision - my mother, Jessica, and the woman in the snow. All their deaths lingered in my mind, but most clearly I saw the latter. Crisp and clear were my memories as a vampire, while my human ones were fuzzy, almost like watching an old television when compared to a high-definition one.

As soon as I saw that my body was sufficiently clean, I started scrubbing my scalp. Even more blood poured from there, even though I was unsure how so much blood had gotten in my hair.

After I was sure I had gotten all of the blood off of my body, I stood in the shower even longer. I looked down at myself, seeing the places rubbed pink with my frantic attempt to get the blood off. They were already returning back to their pale state, even if the hot water of the shower had my body feeling warmer than usual. I stood under the spray, reluctant to even go out and face whoever was waiting for me. But, eventually, I did. I turned the water off and stepped out of the shower. I went through the motions. Put my clothes on. Throw my old clothes in the trash to be burned later. Not look in the mirror. Can't look in the mirror.

I looked back at the shower, only to see that it was clean. Sparkling. As if there had never been a bloodied murder within its glass doors.

I turned off the lights and stepped out into the open.

And was immediately assaulted by Bella.

She came at me before I even knew what happened. She wrapped her arms around me, pressing herself deeply into my body, every curve fitting perfectly to my body. I smelled her hair, the scent of it bringing back a certain kind of nostalgia. My arms wrapped around her slight frame in response, and I pressed my lips to the top of her head.

"Oh, Jasper, I'm so, _so _sorry."

I didn't respond, only held her tighter to me in a reflexive action. She responded by holding me equally as tight.

"I don't think you want to be near me, Bella."

"Why?" Her voice was incredulous, sorrowful, ringing in my ears.

I let her go reluctantly. I'd allowed myself all the "pleasure" I would today. "I...killed someone."

"Jasper - "

"I'm - I'm a _murderer_."

Something in Bella's eyes hardened then. "Yeah? So are we."

I stared at her, as if I had been hearing her wrong.

"What? You didn't think we'd all been squeaky clean our entire existance, huh?" Bella said, her mouth twisting into a sardonic smirk. I didn't like the look of it. "Emmett's had _two singers_ in his existance, and killed them both. Rosalie hunted her fiancee and the men who raped and left her for dead. Edward hunted the scum of the earth for a while. Alice has had her slip ups, as have Carlisle and Esme. Diego and Garrett lived off of human blood for the majority of their existance."

I stared at her, "Should you have told me all that - "

"_Yes_. They said I could as soon as I got in here. You need to know that you're no worse than any of us - "

"Bella..."

" - even me."

What?

She was looking at me with an intensity that made me wonder if I had indeed made her mad by my own pity party just moments ago. Her fists were steady, but clenched at her sides like two tiny boulders. Her eyes were fierce in their expression, hair looking windblown from running. Her clothes were torn and ripped as if she had gone through some kind of briar patch on the way here.

I saw her walking toward the bed, and it was a while before I realized she expected me to follow her. She sat down on the bed, leaning up against the headboard. I followed suit.

I realized what she was going to tell me as soon as she stared at me, her eyes full of meaning. "Bella, you don't have to - "

"Yes. I do." And that ended any argument on my part.

And so, I listened.

"I was just a newborn. Like you. Even though my family has some kind of joke about me having abnormal self-control, there are somethings that even a newborn can't escape. Like the bloodlust. I had been a vampire for just a little while. I was green, as you would say," she said, a humorless smile to her features, "and I was still unaware of what this life would hold. Unprepared."

I was hanging on her every word, never interrupting.

"Often, the times we slip up are similar to what you just did. A human will be in the wrong place at the wrong time. With age, it stops happening. You are able to turn off your senses to an extent. We hold our breath for good measure. But...yes. Some days the wrong thing happens..."

I could tell that she was getting to the point of her story, for her face had suddenly taken on a strange look, her features icy and frightening.

"His name was Lee Hutchins," she said, and I felt a chill go down my spine. "Homeless. No family, nothing to his name. Somehow, he had managed to make his way to our house. Alice was away hunting, so she couldn't tell me what was going to happen. He came to the door, most likely asking for money, and Carlisle had just gotten out a welcome when I attacked him."

Bella looked far away now, as if she were reliving it. She was staring at a point on the wall as if it were something completely fascinating. "He didn't know what hit him...poor guy."

I stared at her for a good while, then. I wasn't sure what to say to that, and she seemed like she didn't know how to continue, almost like she hadn't thought past her story.

We sat in silence for a while, until she spoke again.

"So, you see, Jasper," she turned her head toward me and grasped my fingers tightly, "we all know what you're going through."

Her comforting words were like a salve.

"I know you aren't going to be automatically better. The first kill is always the worst. But...you'll be able to deal with it soon enough. It sounds cold, callous even, but that is how it is when you are...what we are."

She looked down at her feet for a moment, encased in a kind of Converse, and then back to me.

"So, don't for a second think that you are alone. Because anything you've felt, we've experienced it as well."

I just stared at her as she moved her head back to stare at something else random, the frayed ends of her favorite blue sweater, most likely. I watched her unabashedly for a few moments, taking in her solemn profile. Her words had helped some. Helped put all of this horror into perspective. She was right, I didn't necessarily feel better, but I felt like I wasn't completely alienated from everyone else just because it happened.

My still heart still felt like it was twisting out of my chest whenever I thought of that woman, lying in the snow, dead and mangled and broken. I tried to force the image from my mind. Tried to think of other things.

I thought of Bella, her kind words, her ferocity at my ignorance of the situation. I watched as she picked at a stray thread that came off of her jeans. I took that hand in my own. She didn't look at me, only gripped my hand in responce.

I leaned forward and pressed my lips against her temple, feeling her hair tickle my cheek. I tried to ignore the thought of the last time I felt that - when the hair was much redder and the woman was much more fragile.

Nonetheless, I breathed out against her temple and was able to find words. Simple ones, but expressive of my gratitude no doubt.

"Thank you, Bella."

* * *

_**End Chapter Thirty Eight.**_

_And there you have it! The latest chapter. I am really eager to get this finished. Only one more chapter and then the epilogue! I'm so excited - and relieved - that this is about to be finished. Anyway, thanks so much for reading. I'd love to hear what y'all have to say! Thanks for reading! _


	40. Always

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Twilight._

_Alrighty! Here is the last official chapter before we get to the epilogue. Anyway, I really hope y'all enjoy this fic. I know I'm going to enjoy writing this chapter. This fic is purely JasperBella interaction and stuff like that. I hope that everyone enjoys this!_

* * *

**Long Road to Ruin  
****Chapter Thirty Nine: Always**

* * *

**Jasper.**

I flew through the trees, a blur, a supersonic, nothing could catch me as long as I was running like this.

I smelled the blood, the sweet substance that would give me relief, and followed.

I was more aware this time. I had always been more aware of myself ever since my slip up. I still felt the pangs of it, though. I might have learned to control myself somewhat, but it wasn't enough to help me forget that I had been instrumental in someone else's death. I don't think anyone ever gets over that - unless the person is of a very sick kind, but I digress. I was able to cut myself off just in time now. Of course, considering the isolation of the Denalis's house, it might be a fluke. There weren't often many people around, and that was to my advantage.

Months had passed without me knowing it.

Moments would come where I'd be paralyzed by the tragedy that surrounded my life - or, rather, my existance. Every now and then I was reminded of my mother, of Jessica, of the woman in the snow whose name I'd never learned. I often had flashes of my torture at Victoria's hands.

I'd try to pull myself together, though. Sure, there was plenty of time to grieve - I had, literally, an _infinite _amount of the stuff - but I tried to cheer myself up.

As hard as I tried, the memories would always surface. Each day, since the event that changed my life, I would picture the faces of the victims, of my captor, and I would start having to force myself to function. Of course, Edward knew what was going on. He always knew what was going on. And I was more than certain he and Bella had been discussing me without my knowing.

I just sighed and kept on running. Thinking about those things wouldn't help my concentration. So I ran, darting through the forest like some kind of possessed beast. There was very little wildlife out today, and I wondered that maybe we'd somehow poached it all. That was a silly thought, though, so I kept on going. I wasn't sure where my destination was - all I was concerned about was relieving the burn in my throat.

My feet made barely a sound on the forest floor, the snow not even upturned as I ran across it. I had gotten better in the months that followed, better at controlling myself as well as doing the basic superhuman things. My gift had evolved into something I could almost control. And the blood from my human days still rested in my body, allowing me newborn strength, and the ability to beat Emmett in arm wrestling.

The deer I found just minutes later tasted good, and I drank greedily. I had already wrestled with a rather large bear that day, and finishing off the deer had filled my stomach.

After I buried the deer in a large hole of my own creation, I sighed, wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, and set off for home.

I had to admit, I was getting tired of the snowy landscape. I wished I could just go bask in the sun, not worried about sinking my teeth into the nearest beach-goer.

But, of course, that would always be a worry with me.

I propelled myself forward, faster than any creature on this planet, filled with an elation that only this kind of running could bring. I jolted through the gathering of trees that started the forest at the edge of the Denalis's house, and set my eyes upon the large structure I had come to call home in the past few months. I sighed, watching as my breath turned to mist in front of my face, and made my way inside.

I was met with a strange array of people - all that I knew, of course, but the amount of yellow they were wearing was frightening. It was enough to make me shield my eyes and wince. The shocking yellow graduation robes they wore were...well, shocking. I watched as Edward started to pull his over his head, ruffling out his bronze mop of hair.

"Er - weren't y'all suppose to leave them on the chairs after the ceremony?"

Edward looked at me, blinked, and then said, "Well, I guess we were."

Emmett let out a booming sound of laughter as he set his over the back of the chair in the kitchen, while Rosalie started to take bobby pins out of her hair. Alice was running around, checking Rosalie's dress and Edward's clothes for some reason.

"And...one, two, three..."

I looked in time just to see a _flash _go off. I started, stunned at what was going on, when Bella glided over to me, kissing me on the mouth and grinning. "What was that all about?"

"Alice wanted to commemorate the event."

"Oh. Right." The event that I couldn't even go to because, well, I was dead to everyone in Forks. Literally.

Bella lowered her voice, though I knew that it didn't have anything to do with the others not overhearing us, "They did a nice little memorial for you and Jessica. Esme took pictures."

I felt a tug at the place where my heart would normally beat, and gave a weak little smile, "Thanks."

"You're getting better," Bella looked down at my shirt, and saw that only the collar and chest area were stained with blood. "Not as much blood on you as usual."

"Yeah, we're gonna have to photoshop that out of the picture," I heard Alice say begrudgingly. I felt myself start to chuckle.

I smiled at her, "Yeah."

The Cullens all herded around me, telling stories about the graduation. I listened eagerly, drinking in every word. Maybe one day I would graduate high school. It was funny that something like going to school was something I actually wanted to do now. Once I got better with my bloodlust, and all. It was funny that completing high school was still an option for me. I was surprised that I was looking forward to it.

"Jasper," Alice said mischeviously, "Bella has something she wants to tell you."

I looked over to Bella curiously, cocking a brow in confusion. "Yeah?"

"Er - well...I...uh..." she stuttered, looking down at her feet.

Unable to take it anymore, Alice burst out, "You're going to Isle Esme!"

I looked at her, wondering what she could possibly mean. Isle Esme? Was that some kind of joke?

"No," Edward said, looking at me with a smile, "It's an island Carlisle owns. Bought for Esme, obviously."

I turned my face to stare at Esme, who was looking slightly flustered, abashed that she had her own island named after her. I gave her a wondering look, and she only smiled with that motherly affection she was so well-known for.

"All of us?" I asked her.

Esme shook her head, "No, it's just a little treat for you and Bella."

"Alice thought it would be a good idea..." Bella spoke up, her voice small and embarrassed. "For us to have some time together, now that we can."

I smiled over at Alice, "Okay! Sounds awesome."

I heard Alice scoff for a moment, something that sounded vaguely like the word "clueless" passed her lips.

I didn't pay that any attention. All I was aware of was the few days that I would spend alone with Bella.

It would be a grateful reprieve from all the other happenings in my new life.

Just me. Me and Bella.

No other words could have made me happier.

* * *

We left for Isle Esme that evening.

Bella and I ran across the lovely, muted Alaskan landscape, unconcerned about shimmering in the light due to the lack of sunlight in the state. I felt the air, crisp and clean, whistle down my throat. I felt more in control of this than I had ever had in my life. I was able to hold my breath on cue now, whenever we saw a humanlike figure amongst the trees, and avoided a few missteps.

It was strange, to feel so light and airy when just a while ago I was filled with self-pity and loathing of myself. But with Bella, I found that even impossible things were possible, as cheesy as that sounded.

The evening turned into night, and here we didn't have to worry at all. I felt freer than I had been in months. It was like a giant weight had been removed from my chest as I ran, speeding along in Bella's wake. She obviously knew where she was going, so I had no choice but to follow - not that I wanted another choice, to be frank. I could be content being with her forever, of that I was certain.

We passed the border in a matter of a few hours. I wasn't sure where we were going, only that the weather was warmer, the atmosphere spicier, and the fact that my mood seemed to lift with each passing step.

That was before we arrived at the water.

The ocean, spreading out in an infinite mass in front of me, lapping at the toes of my shoes as if inviting me in. I looked at Bella for guidance, and she turned toward me, winking, before diving into the water, slicing through the surface like the clean swipe of a surgeon's scalpel.

Shrugging, I followed.

If I had thought running as a vampire was something to behold, then swimming was a completely different beast altogether.

I darted through the water, faster than any fish, anything threatening in those murky depths. Not even the theme from Jaws thrumming through my head could deter my giddiness now.

It was...amazing.

I never lost sight of Bella. Her graceful movements were something to be in awe of, even for a vampire. It was crazy that she described herself as clumsy when she was a human. Insanity, pure and simple. Because watching her like this was like watching grace in the living form of a person, magnified and intensified to the hundredth degree.

We weaved through the water like a pair of dolphins. She was surprisingly playful, splashing me with water every now and then when I got too close, and finally I retaliated by pulling her under the water by grasping her ankle.

She gave me a chaste kiss underwater, as cliche as that sounds, and winked before surfacing.

An island, nice-sized and quaint, but nothing overtly big, emerged from the darkness.

Isle Esme.

We bobbed in the water like two corks for a moment, before I saw Bella swimming to shore. Transfixed by the way her wet skin shone in the moonlight, I followed.

It seemed as if there was something heady in the air now that we'd actually arrived here. Something that I couldn't place. It twisted at my insides, begging me to take notice, but for the death of me I couldn't figure out what it was.

She emerged onto the shore. The sand shone white underneath the light provided by the sphere that hung above us. I watched as she walked on the beach, and it was almost as if she were alone. She twisted the water out of the hem of her shirt.

I could sense it now, as acutely as if her emotions were my own - she was _nervous _about something.

The whole island was deserted. The small house that sat just beyond the reach of the beach was quaint, homey, but decorated lavishly, and I just knew that this was Cullen territory. The familiar smell of salty sea water reached my nostrils, and I felt a longing for a time when I was smaller, when I had played with my mother and father in the beach in a time when we were all together.

I couldn't think of that now.

Bella reached the house, striding up to it calmly, but still with that underlying nervousness, and opened the door. It was unlocked, I was unsurprised to find. What could the Cullens ever be scared of enough to lock their doors at night?

I followed, wondering what was wrong. Everything about her posture screamed that she was calm, but it was a forced sort of calm, almost as if she were willing her joints and muscles to stay loose.

She flicked the light on with a deft twist of her wrist.

The whole place was flooded with light. The place seemed more spacious on the inside. I noticed a rather large living room, complete with a flat screen television, comfortable looking chairs, and a coffee table. The only barrier between the kitchen and the living room was a bar by which sat a couple of stools. I saw that on the edge of the place was a hallway, leading to what I assumed were the bedrooms and bathrooms and whatnot. The whole place smelled of sand and sea and the extraordinary.

I took it all in, not noticing the spike in Bella's emotions until I looked at her. The love that I felt from her pierced me like some jagged edge of glass, frightening and powerful and everything I wanted. She looked so lovely that it almost hurt to look at her. Her hair wet and stuck to the sides of her face, her eyes flashing with an emotion unknown to even me, her clothes sticking to every curve of her body...

"Jasper," she started.

"Bella." I countered jokingly.

That softened her expression, her features smoothing into a smile that was only barely tinged with nervousness. "I love you."

I cocked my head to the side, "I love you, too."

This whole situation was rather confusing. I could barely get a read on her emotions, they were spiraling so fast through her body. I felt sympathy for her, and walked closer to her, trying to send out waves of calm toward her, hoping that I could get it right for her.

"Are you okay, Bells?"

She smiled at me and my outstretched arms, and walked into them.

I pressed her body into mine, wanting to be closer to her. The intensity of the thought surprised me when it shouldn't have.

"I'm fine, Jasper," she replied. "More than, actually."

And she kissed me.

As soon as her lips met mine, it seemed like I knew what was going on. All of her emotions seemed to be transmitted through that kiss, flooding my body with barely concealed want. She pressed herself so tightly into my body that I was shocked for a moment, waiting for her to pull away so as to not hurt me when I realized that I was the same as her now. I would not break with the slightest touch. I was her equal in that respect.

So _that _was why she was nervous.

I could feel her intentions, honest and true and loving, beneath the intensity of her kiss, and I pulled away just as she started to pull me back toward the hallway.

"Are you sure?"

"Good," she said, "I didn't have to spell it out for you. That was what I was afraid of."

"By asking me if I wanted to - "

This time she kissed me to shut me up.

It worked, admittedly.

She dragged us backward, knowing where she was going, as her expert hands weaved behind my head, stumbling us backward into what I assumed was a bedroom. I parted from her for just a minute to take in the surroundings. A large, canopy bed was seated in the middle of the room, a bathroom off to the side. It seemed just as big as the living room. The sheets were lily white, pristine looking, as were the walls as well. I didn't have much time to ogle the room, though, because Bella's lips were on mine once more, pulling me away from everything else.

I found myself hefting her up with little effort, and her legs wrapped around my waist. The most wonderful feelings shot through me, and I found myself almost having to pause because I was sure a wide grin was spreading across my face.

I heard Bella laugh and was certain that she had felt my smile against her mouth.

Then we lost ourselves in each other.

Wet clothes were stripped, mouths sloppily meeting between those actions as we tumbled around on the bed.

I took in her body, perfect just as everything else about her, and tentatively touched a hand to her breast. She let out a happy little moan and arched into my touch. I pressed my lips to hers as she tilted her hips upward, trying to meet her need. I wanted this to be special, and I knew that whatever we did, it would be special. I suppose Bella's nervousness was rubbing off on me.

I kissed her, along her jawline, suckling down her neck, wandering over her collarbone and down to her chest before moving upward and meeting her mouth once more.

She made the most wonderful little mewls when I did something right...

I lost my thoughts, couldn't gather myself.

Her hands roamed over my body, fingers stroking my back, my chest, my face, everywhere they could reach. I found myself doing the same.

We kissed, exploring each others bodies with our mouths, teasing each other with the lightest of touches, bringing each other to the brink but never over. I was mad for her, that was sure. I wanted her more than anything in this world, and though she said she was mine with her words, I wanted to stake my claim over her body as well.

Awkwardly, I positioned myself at her entrance. She looked up at me with those bright, golden eyes, lips parted.

"Are you _sure_?" I asked once more.

"_Yes_," she breathed.

I slid into her. I felt her unyielding skin give with the pressure, was surprised that it could do so, and she gave a little cry.

"You okay?"

"F-Fine..." Bella said, staring at me with those luminous eyes. The moonlight poured in from the window, weaker than before, and absently I knew that dawn would break soon. "_Please, _Jasper."

Her breathy voice was something that I couldn't ignore. I couldn't deny her any longer.

I moved, in and out, with a rhythmic pace, her name on my lips was a mantra that I couldn't shake. She gasped and moaned and breathed my name, clutching to me like I was the only anchor to this earth.

I felt my climax coming. It was strange, to feel such an intense emotion as this. We were so entangled in one another that I wasn't sure where I stopped and she started. I found that I liked it that way.

In and out, faster, faster, Bella moaning my name. I couldn't stop little sounds of pleasure from escaping my lips as well. I leaned over her, holding her tightly as I thrust into her. Her legs wrapped around my waist, pushed me in deeper, and she gasped loudly, arching against my body as she unravelled, finding her release in my arms. Her face, contorted in the pleasure that I caused, was something that I would never be able to forget.

I found my release shortly afterward, her name like a prayer on my lips as I spilled inside her.

For a moment, we just lay there, twisted and entwined with one another, panting and trembling with the aftershocks.

I pressed my lips to her temple, feeling the soft strands of her hair against my flesh. She placed her hand on my cheek, twisting my head in her direction so that she could have access to my lips. I didn't resist.

From that moment, we lay underneath the covers, occassionally prodding each other to do more. Each and every time was spectacular, and not just because we were some virginal kids, not because I was almost completely unexperienced, but because it was Bella who I was with. It was Bella who I loved. And it would always be this way.

We lay in the bed, just holding each other for a while afterward, not wanting to do anything else. Not wanting to be anywhere else. It was peaceful. It was fulfilling. It was something that I could always do without getting bored.

I propped myself against the headboards, Bella's head underneath my chin, her arms wrapped around my body and her cheek pressed against my marble-like chest. The sun had just started to rise in the window beside us, warming up the room.

"Look, Jazz."

I gave a slight chuckle at the childish sound of her voice, and focused my gaze to where she was focused. I was greeted with a most wondering sight. My arm, having been caught by the light of the sun, was shimmering as if imbedded with thousands of diamond facets. The reflections bounced off the walls and off of Bella's lovely face. I was entranced for longer than I cared to admit.

"Well, you don't see that everyday." I finally murmured to her.

She shook her head as she laughed; I felt her hair brush against my chest.

Bella leaned up, using her elbows for leverage, and looked me in the eyes.

"What do you want to do today?"

I smirked lightly at her, "I can think of a few things."

Bella looked as if she would blush if it were possible. I kissed her on the forehead.

"We have all the time in the world, Jasper."

My expression softened, "Yeah...yeah, we do."

It seemed that I realized then, that I would have her forever. Bella Cullen, this magnificent woman, would always be mine, and I would always be hers. All of the pain, all of the suffering I had endured, was all worth it. Though I had endured more than anyone I had knowledge of, I knew that I was stronger for it. I had Bella because of it. I knew automatically that I wouldn't have it any other way.

The realization hit me on the head with the force of a stampede. I wrapped my arms tighter around her thin form, feeling her body react as I did so. She nuzzled into my embrace, and we just stayed that way for the longest time, just holding each other and reveling in the other's touch.

"We really do have forever." I mused, stroking tendrils of her dark hair from her back.

"An eternity."

She leaned up and pressed her lips to mine, and those words ran through my mind, pouring through my veins like the sweetest substance.

_Eternity._

I liked the sound of that.

And so I kissed her with everything I had, knowing that I couldn't take any of it for granted, but also knowing that we would always be together from now on - permanence personified.

For many, many lifetimes.

For eternity.

Always.

* * *

_**End Chapter Thirty Nine.**_

_And there you have it! I really liked writing this chapter, so I hope that y'all enjoyed reading this. I would love to hear your opinions on this, and everything. Now I just have the epilogue and this fic is finished!_

_Thanks so much for reading! _


	41. Epilogue: Golden

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Twilight._

_Alright. Here is the last chapter. Oh my goodness, I can't believe we're here! I am very glad to have this finished, but it is almost bittersweet. This is just a nice little treat to seal up the story. It's short, which I think epilogues are supposed to be, but I hope that y'all like it. I really have no idea how I can possibly express my thanks to all the reviewers that have stuck with me - through the writer's block, through everything - but I want everyone to know that I really appreciate everyone's kind words and advice for this little fic of mine, and that I couldn't have gotten here without their support. Thanks so much to everyone that has reviewed and favorited this story as well as me as an author. It means so much, y'all have no clue. _

_And, without further ado, the epilogue._

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**Long Road to Ruin  
****Epilogue: Golden**

* * *

His name was Jasper Whitlock.

And everything was now in place.

Years had passed like days, like minutes, like seconds.

An immortal's concept of time was vastly different from a human's, he knew, but this was almost ridiculous. The years seemed to float by like clouds, passing him with the brevity of something truly sad and beautiful at the same time.

He had learned the tricks and trades of the vampire from the best. Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, Rosalie, Edward, Alice, and Bella. Always, always Bella.

His coven.

His _family_.

The most minute things were taught as if they were the most important. The way he was supposed to keep moving, since vampires naturally didn't need to move at all. How to control his lust for blood. How to manage his gift of controlling, emitting, and transmitting emotions. How to live forever without dwelling on the negative things. All of this came surprisingly easy for him.

But, this...this was a different beast.

Isle Esme was covered in white. Every inch of the quaint little house where he and Bella first consummated their love for one another was covered with pretty, floating decorations. White, the color of purity, the symbolic shade of this whole business he had ahead of him.

The whole thing was a small affair, the people there being only the Cullen coven as well as the Denalis. Carlisle stood towards the center of the space marked for the occassion. Emmett, Edward, and Diego were standing calmly behind Jasper, while across from Jasper himself stood Alice, Rosalie, and a spot reserved for Esme. The rest of the Denali clan folded into a circle around the place, leaving only a space big enough for a person to get through.

That person being Bella.

Jasper twisted his fingers in the pockets of his loose khaki pants. His white shirt hung, only half-buttoned in a very Jasper-like manner, loosely around his thin frame. Staring out towards the house, he gulped, wondering how in the world he could have gotten himself into this.

Of course, he was the one who had caused it, that was a ridiculous thing to say.

Alice looked up and met his eyes, giving him a sly wink.

Yeah, this was her fault, too. At least they had avoided her attempt to make it something bigger. Bella wanted just a small event, nothing extravagant.

Jasper dug his bare feet into the sand, feeling the grit between his toes. The sound of the ocean called to him. He wanted nothing more to do than take Bella and leave here.

Which he would.

_After _all of this had occurred.

Because she deserved something special, and he wanted it to happen - to be bonded to her in every way possible after so long together - that's why he asked her, after all. Besides, Alice wouldn't have it any other way.

The waves crashed behind him, gulls keened above him, the sun shone down on them all, making them look like an array of beautiful, sparkling creatures.

And then, there she was.

Walking toward him, just having left the interior of the small house, was Bella, arm in arm with Esme and looking absolutely radiant.

Her white dress was appropriate for her, and not the strange, cake-looking thing that Alice had wanted to put her in. It was a simple sundress with thin straps, sinched at the waist, the fabric falling straight and simple to above her knees. In her hands she held a bundle of tiger lilies, a stunning color against the crispness of the white dress. Her hair was left wavy and natural, almost as if she had just had it blown dry by the wind of the beach, half of her thick hair was pulled back with a clip styled to look like seashells. Her feet, free of any shoe, glided smoothly across the stand. Her golden eyes looked at nothing but him, her grin splitting her face into something so stunning that it hurt to look at her directly - however, he couldn't take his eyes away.

Around her neck, she wore the same topaz pendant from so long ago.

There were murmured sounds of approval from everyone there. Emmett even gave a loud, boyish whistle, and Alice glared at him as if to shut him up for ruining Bella's big day.

But the person in question didn't mind at all. Esme guided her to her spot, before taking her place right behind Rosalie.

The love flowing off of Bella was so much that Jasper could hardly stand it. He grinned brightly, and their hands reached out for one another, clasping in the middle right after Bella had handed Alice her flowers.

"You're beautiful," he said. There was nothing in the world other than Bella at that moment.

She shimmered in an approximation of a blush.

Instead of hiring some random person, Carlisle - luckily - was able to legally perform the ceremony. His dulcet tones broke the silence, and he said every word with such care and happiness for the two of them that Jasper had to fight to keep control. All the emotions swirling in the air were a great climate for him, and he could barely contain himself.

Vows were said, rings were exchanged - of course, no one objected.

"You may now kiss the bride."

Jasper did, of course. He leaned down, planting a tender, heart-wrenching kiss upon the lips of his beloved, wrapping her in his arms like she was the most precious of cargo. Applause sounded as he twined a hand through her casually styled hair.

God, he loved her.

They parted, and everyone around them congratulated the couple. Jasper pretended to notice, but nothing had captured his attention as well as Bella had - it seemed that was the norm for him when it came to her.

"I love you," she said, twining her hand with his. The wedding bands clinked together, seeming to resonate through Jasper's very being.

Jasper bent down and whispered his reply against her lips.

"I love you," he murmured, "_forever_."

And he pulled her into his arms, complete for all eternity.

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_**End Epilogue.**_

_**End Long Road to Ruin.**_


End file.
